Community Event Bring Cancer Survivors Together

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Aurora Celebrate Life

Coordinating survivorship celebration for Aurora Health Care

In the summer of 2008, Aurora Health Care tapped Buzz Monkeys to help plan the first-ever community-wide cancer survivorship celebration, a free public event for anyone whose life had been touched by cancer.

“Celebrating Life” was held at Miller Park on a sunny June day with more than 3,000 people in attendance. Guests enjoyed ballpark fare, a live jazz band, face painting, chair massages and a variety of educational booths and programming.

Throughout the day, guests were invited to step up to the camera and share special dedications and messages of hope, which were played on the jumbo video board in the outfield. Guests also had their pictures taken in photo booths set up along the concourse and attached a copy to a “Faces of Survivorship” banner that was to be displayed at an Aurora hospital after the event.

On the field, highlights of the event included a keynote address by Olympic figure skater and cancer survivor Scott Hamilton, who shared the personal story of his battle with cancer. Hamilton also mingled with cancer survivors, signed autographs and posed for pictures after his talk.