It finally feels like spring!  What great weather!!!

FREE YOGA FOR CANCER PATIENTS continues on Wednesday evenings at 5pm and Saturday mornings at 10am.  PLEASE RSVP to Sallie at sallie@jaxinthepink.net as a courtesy to our instructors.

CANCER PREVENTION STUDY-3:  What if you could prevent even one family from hearing the words “you have cancer?”  What if you could help save lives from cancer and give people more of their most precious resource:  Time?  You can!  This year, you can join the movement to help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays by enrolling in the American Cancer Society’s research study called Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3).  Volunteer now!  The study is open to anyone in the U.S. and Puerto Rico who is willing to commit to the study long-term, which means completing periodic follow-up surveys at home for the next 20-30 years, is between 30 and 65 years old, and has never been diagnosed with cancer (not including basal or squamous cell skin cancer).  Local enrollment is being made possible in partnership with YMCA of Florida’s First Coast.  For more information or to schedule an enrollment appointment, please visit:  www.cancer.org/CPS3Florida or call toll free at 1-888-604-5888.  Locally, you may contact:  Laura Petrillo at 904-391-3644 or Laura.Petrillo@cancer.org.

Looking for something fun & beneficial to your health?  Join our dragon boat teams!  This sport is for anyone and everyone.  We have two teams…one for breast cancer survivors, the Mammoglams and another for anyone ages 14+ called the Saltwater Slayers.  Learn more about our teams at www.inthepinkdragonboats.com or email jeri@jaxinthepink.net.  Get bit by the dragon!

FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MAY:  YOU MAY PURCHASE PAMPERED CHEF PRODUCTS FORM RONDA RENTERIA AND A PORTION OF HER SALES WILL BENEFIT IN THE PINK!  Renew or buy more products now by visiting Ronda’s website at www.PamperedChef.biz/RondaRenteria or visit In the Pink and browse through our Pampered Chef catalogue.  If you would like to contact Ronda, she can be reached at 904-607-2554 or Ronda.PamperedChef@yahoo.com. 

May 2nd:  Jacksonville Dragon Boat Festival Committee Meeting at 6:15 pm at In the Pink.

May 11th:  The inaugural “HOPE FLOATS” event will be held at 10am at Beach Marine behind Billy’s Boathouse Grill.  This is a dragon boat paddling event in which breast cancer survivors pay tribute to their health care heroes in Jacksonville.  Doctors and patients paddling together so the doctors can learn more about the sport and its benefit for cancer patients.  Following the paddle, the survivors will treat the doctors to lunch at Billy’s Boathouse Grill.  For survivors, please let your doctors know about this and ask that they RSVP to jeri@jaxinthepink.net.

May 24th:  The downtown location of In the Pink will close early to attend training.  We are closing at 1:00 pm.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.  This location will re-open on Tuesday, May 28th at 8:30 am.

May 27th:  In the Pink will be closed in both locations.  Enjoy a wonderful Memorial Day!

May 31st:  Be sure to attend the annual EVE Award luncheon at 11:00 am at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in downtown Jacksonville.  Three fabulous women will be honored for Employment, Volunteer Service, and Education.

LOOKING AHEAD:  Save these dates!

June 6th:  Jacksonville Dragon Boat Committee meeting at 6:15 pm at In the Pink.

June 29th:  Paddle event with the Mayor of Jacksonville.  9am @the Jacksonville Landing.

June 29th:  Attend the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation Education & Advocacy Day 2013 at Embassy Suites, 9300 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville.  This event is FREE to the public but space is limited.  RSVP’s are a must.  RSVP by calling 1-877-644-3222 or email:  assistant@FloridaBreastCancer.org.  Registration begins at 8:45 am.  Dr. Shahla Masood of Shand’s Jacksonville and Dr. Ankit Desai of Baptist will speak, as well as many other physicians, advocates, nutritionists, and physical therapists.  For more information, visit www.FloridaBreastCancer.org.

July 2nd:  Jacksonville Dragon Boat Committee meeting at 6:15 pm at In the Pink.

July 12th-August 30th (every Friday excluding August 16th):  In the Pink encourages you to take part in a new program, “Health and Wellness for Women Touched by Cancer.”  This program will be offered every Friday from 10-11:30 am with sessions co-facilitated by Judy Smith, LCSW, RYT200 and Clare Lavender, PhD, LMHC.  The cost for the six, 90-minute sessions is $75 per person for the entire 6-week program.  The location for the program is 377 First Street in Atlantic Beach.  The sessions will discuss Nutrition & Green Living, Healing Meditation, Breath Work, Yoga Nidra, Following your Dreams, Connecting with Body Awareness, Creating Balance & Self-Nurturance for Optimal Living, and Hands-On Health Eating Food Preparation.  For more information, contact Judy Smith at 216-287-2829.  This is a phenomenal program for a great price!!

August 22-24:    Nashville, Tennessee.  Keynote speaker is Jacksonville’s own Shannon Miller, as well as Scott Hamilton!  To register for the conference or more information, visit: http://www.survivorsconvention.com/

September 21st:  The Inaugural Jacksonville Dragon Boat Festival at the Jacksonville Landing!  8am-5pm.  Be there for this exciting event!  To learn more, visit http://www.jacksonvilledragonboatfestival.com.  Get 20 friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. together for some fun!  Form a team now!  All proceeds benefit In the Pink.

FREE YOGA for cancer patients will continue on Wednesday evenings at 5pm and Saturday mornings at 10am.  Please RSVP each week to sallie@jaxinthepink.net or call 372-0029.  This is a courtesy to our instructors who drive quite a distance to provide this free service.

In the Pink will be closed on Saturday, April 6th in order to support a Boy Scout event at Doctor’s Lake.  We will also be closed on April 20th to attend a dragon boat festival in Cocoa Beach.  We really like to be involved in the community and with our survivor groups.  Sometimes we have to close our doors in order to participate and show our support.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

April 1st:  Team Mammoglams and Saltwater Slayers will have dragon boat practice at 6pm.

April 3rd:  Jacksonville Dragon Boat Festival committee meeting at 6:15 pm at In the Pink in Jacksonville Beach.

April 4th:  Team Mammoglams and Saltwater Slayers will have dragon boat practice at 6pm.

April 6th & 7th:  In the Pink and our dragon boat teams will participate in the Boy Scout Riverbase opening on Doctor’s Lake from 9am-4pm.   If you are volunteering for this event, please read the following.  To the left are the directions beginning at the Buckman bridge to Camp Echockotee.  Here’s the link to the registration flyer from the Council site: http://www.nfcscouting.org/document/aquatics-open-house-46-7/121537  Google’s directions are accurate.  The launch ramp is into the small pond area shown just left of the Lodge, ramp is in the corner just south of the dock, though it doesn’t show well in the photo. Its at the S edge of the tree shadow.

April 10th:  Regularly scheduled paddle with all dragon boat team members at 6pm.

April 13th:  Regularly scheduled paddle with all dragon boat team members at 9am.

April 15th:  Paddle with all dragon boat team members at 6pm in preparation for upcoming festival.

April 17th:  Paddle with Cocoa Beach Festival paddlers only at 6pm to assign seats and prepare for the festival.

April 20th:  Cocoa Beach Dragon Boat Festival 9am-4pm!  For anyone interested in participating, please visit http://www.inthepinkdragonboats.com and pay $21.25 through the Paypal button.  This pays for the race registration and a team shirt.  If you prefer, you may also give an employee of In the Pink a check at practice.  This is the inaugural race for Cocoa Beach, so it will be a lot of fun.  This festival is being held at Manatee Sanctuary Park in Cape Canaveral, FL and is very easy to find using Google’s directions.  Please bring your own snacks, lawnchairs, etc.  In the Pink will provide two tents, ice chests, and water.  For those who can stay after the race, we will be having a post-race cookout at Marty & Jeri’s beach house.  What a great way to end the day!  We hope you will stay and enjoy the fun!  For those wanting a hotel, just look for anything in the general vicinity of Cape Canaveral.  It is a small town so nothing will be a very far drive.

April 24th:  Regularly scheduled dragon boat practice at 6pm.

April 25th:  Pink Tie benefit for Susan G. Komen with a pre-concert reception at 6pm.

April 27th:  River City Challenge Kayak Race & Eco-Fest.  In the Pink’s dragon boat teams have been asked to perform an exhibition paddle at this event.  If you are interested in paddling with us, email jeri@jaxinthepink.net or call 372-0029.  This will be a great day of fun on the south bank of the river in downtown Jacksonville.  In the Pink will host a tent for the event.  Please join us for the day and help us let people know about dragon boating and our festival!  For more information about this free event, visit http://www.rivercitychallenge.org.

April 28th:  Opening of the Beaches Parade at 2pm in Jacksonville Beach.  In the Pink will pull the two dragon boats in the parade to advertise our festival.  Join us by riding in the boats (limited seating), riding along on bikes, or walking.  We will hand out candy to the crowd.  This is always a fun parade!

LOOKING AHEAD: 

May 2nd:  Jacksonville Dragon Boat Festival Meeting at 6:15 pm at In the Pink.

May 11th:  First annual “HOPE FLOATS” event at 10am Behind Billy’s Boathouse at Beach Marine.  In the Pink is proud to host this paddling event, where our health care heroes and breast cancer survivors paddle together to celebrate life.  Lunch will be provided following the paddle at Billy’s Boathouse.  Seats are limited.  Mammoglams Team, please RSVP to jeri@jaxinthepink.net.  If you are interested in inviting your favorite doctor, nurse, physical therapist, etc., please email your request to Jeri at jeri@jaxinthepink.net.