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2008 Honorary New Balance Team Member

On Saturday, May 3, 2008 I was honored by the Southern Nevada Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure as the Athlete Survivor for Team New Balance

Las Vegas Showgirlz Football Teammate OL Vernique Tanasale, General Manager Las Vegas Sandvipers Men's Baseball Gary Arltiz, Sandviper Baseball Player Norine V. Rathbone, General Manager and Owner Las Vegas Showgirlz Dion Lee, Las Vegas Showgirlz Football Teammate QB Kerri Mytch on stage at the 2008 Susan G. Komen RACE FOR THE CURE during my thank you and support speech.

I AM A REAL LIVE PINK BAT Speech...

It is both a pleasure and an honor to be here. I would like to thank our Las Vegas Susan G. Komen staff for inviting me to this event and selecting me to be on the 2008 Honorary New Balance Team.

Thank you so much to New Balance for supporting us survivor athletes and for the best pair of baseball shoes I've ever worn! Yes I am a real live baseball player from Las Vegas. I started my baseball career in January of 2000. At the end of my rookie year, I had my annual mammogram and found out I had breast cancer. It took me 39 years to finally become a baseball player only to end up on a team I didn't want to be on—team breast cancer.

I fought the disease so hard back in 2001 that I trained myself right into professional women's football as well. Not only am I playing baseball this year with my Sandviper brothers, but I am also playing full tackle football with my Las Vegas Showgirlz football sisters.

Last month I found out I had skin cancer. Five days after having the skin cancer surgery with my new nose graft I made my professional football debut playing. What else... Nose Guard!

Frankly, I'm tired of losing body parts to cancer period.

Look around you, what your give from your hearts and from your wallets makes a difference in all our lives.

I have in my hand my own Major League Pink Bat given to me by Rick Redman, the vice president of Louisville Slugger. It is a symbol both for breast cancer awareness and the sport of baseball. But it is just a symbol.

Your generosity and commitment to prevent breast cancer personally hits home with me...

Race For The Cure Registration $25

Pink Bat from Louisville Slugger $77

I AM A REAL LIVE PINK BAT Absolutely Priceless

Thank you so very much for this wonderful day in my life. I've taken you out to the ball game on this stage. Now... let's go to the races to cross the finish line for a great day for the cure!

Left to right: Vernique Tanasale, Norine V. Rathbone, Annise "Tig" White, Christina Ladue, Christi Acacio, Sunny Nolan, Ebony "YOU ROCK!" Saunders, Ramona Montgomery, Ty Jamerson

Las Vegas Showgirlz support Breast Cancer Awareness by wearing Pink Ribbons on their helmets

Las Vegas Showgirlz Football Photo Credit / Email Jerry Lilly

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman

A good man who goes to bat for all of us in Las Vegas. Thank you Mayor Goodman!

Thank you New Balance for having me on the 2008 Honorary New Balance Team!

Official Photographer for Hardball Magazine, Men's Senior Baseball League, Prep Sports Online and Peccole Little League.

Images Copyright 2008 Norine V. Photography / Ebony Saunders

Cancer can destroy the body but it cannot kill the heart...

Sandvipers GM Gary Arlitz who also is a cancer survivor

Two great women Stephanie and Katrina from SGK

My teammate who is awesome on the field Vernique

Football coach of the Las Vegas Showgirlz Dion Lee

"No Fear" Woman Quarterback Kerri

My buddy Michele Team Sue's Crew

My two favorite guys! My husband Ed and my baseball manager Gary

Cancer is a dark alley to walk but if we look up we will see the light and the way out through prayer and the cure

EBONY YOU ROCK!

Ebony Saunders did a great job free-lancing for my studio. As soon as I take a great photo of her you can see for yourself what a beautiful woman she is.

PREVENTION

Breast cancer awareness is important to us all.

Cancer awareness .

Along with helping to prevent it by eating healthy foods, taking care to exercise our bodies, annual mammograms, and just simply respecting our bodies by not putting harmful or junk products into it we are taking part in managing our own health care.

While we can't predict what our DNA will do we can be respectful and good to our own selves throughout our lives. And what a difference that does make in the long run.

RESEARCH

Without research billions of people throughout the history of mankind have suffered horribly from their diseases and ailments.

Research allows us to find better ways to provide quality care while we fight the struggles to be healthy or to maintain our health.

No one ever gave us a guarantee that we would all live great lives. We do what we can with what we have as individuals. Being positive is a great prescription. So is laughter. They are both free.

Research is a helping hand so that less people have to suffer in the first place and those who are afflicted have hope that they will receive peace of mind.

CURE

I know the cure is out there.

Somewhere on this planet called Earth is a cure for every cancer that attacks mankind.

In a way, we are all like Dr. Leakey. But instead of looking for fossils we are looking for the missing link to the cure.

Finding that link— that connection in our DNA—will help us to not create cancer in the first place in each and every one of us.

Now and forever. Amen