Physical Activity & Nutrition

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> 2005 Participants
> 2004 Participants
> 2003 Participants
> 2002 Participants

2006 Participants

Stony Brook University for “Play Fit - Stay Fit!" (2006)
$150,000 grant over three years
“Play Fit – Stay Fit!  A Wellness Program for Childhood Survivors of Cancer”
www.playfitstayfit.org
The “Play Fit-Stay Fit!” program is a free, 12-week wellness program that will address the physical, nutritional and psychosocial needs of childhood cancer survivors and their families in Long Island, New York. Youth will be recruited from the surrounding community to “buddy” with cancer survivors to participate in wellness activities together. Supported by a multidisciplinary team including physical therapists, exercise physiologists, athletic and personal trainers, nutritionists and counselors, this program will address the physical, nutritional and psychosocial needs of childhood survivors and improve quality of life.

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Foundation (2006)
$25,000 grant over one year
“Recovery with Exercise, Nutrition, Education, & Weight Management”
www.moffittcancercenter.com
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center was awarded funding to start the “Recovery with Education, Nutrition, Exercise and Weight Management” (R.E.N.E.W.) pilot program.  The program is designed to address the emotional, physical and educational needs of breast cancer survivors and to facilitate behavior change toward a healthier lifestyle, reducing risk of recurrence, enhancing survival and improving overall patient satisfaction with their post-cancer experience. The Moffitt Cancer Center offers 14 patient care programs addressing specific cancer types and numerous nationally recognized research initiatives.

Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital (2006)
$25,000 grant over one year
“Queens Cancer Center Cancer Survivors Nutrition Program”
The Queens Cancer Center (QCC) at Queens Hospital Center is the only comprehensive cancer center within the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and the only public comprehensive cancer center in the state. For the immigrant population in Queens limited English skills are a primary barrier to care compounded by a lack of trust in the healthcare system, often resulting in patients seeking care and treatment from practicing alternative healers.  The QCC grant will engage cancer survivors in monthly nutrition sessions focusing on long-term nutritional needs. It will also serve to educate community-based providers throughout Queens on the long-term nutritional needs of cancer survivors and inform them of the sessions offered at QCC.

Iowa State University (2006)
$10,000 grant over one year
“DEEP-Cs – Diet and Exercise Educational Program for Cancer Survivors”
www.nwrc.iastate.edu/heathycancersurvivors
Nutrition and exercise are known to be beneficial to the outcome of cancer treatment but there is currently no comprehensive educational program for dissemination of this information to cancer survivors in Iowa.  The “Diet and Exercise Educational Program for Cancer Survivors” (DEEP-Cs) is a joint effort between the Mary Greeley Medical Center and Iowa State University.  The DEEP-Cs project will incorporate diet and exercise education programs into student curriculum to improve overall health and enhance quality of life for survivors living in rural Iowa.

St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center (2006)
$10,000 grant over one year
“Survivor Support through Exercise, Nutrition and Stress Management”
www.stmarysmaine.com
The St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center provides services in Lewiston, Maine to approximately 3500 new cancer patients per year. Between two major hospitals offering oncology services as well as local fitness centers it was identified that there are no or few resources on nutrition, exercise and stress management for cancer survivors in that area.  The St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center will develop a nutrition, exercise and stress management program for cancer survivors. This program will develop a range of opportunities for nutrition, exercise and support based on individual needs, including family members and caregivers. Based in a low income area, their goal is to have services at low or no cost. 

Penrose-St. Francis Health Foundation (2006)
$9,940 grant over one year
As there are currently no outpatient holistic cancer rehabilitation programs in southern Colorado, the Penrose-St. Francis Health foundation will use LAF funding to understand and address those needs.  This grant will be used to design a multi-faceted collaborative intended to create education, clearinghouse and research resources, as well as establish a regional collaborative, creating partnership between the four major cancer centers in the Pike’s Peak region and assimilate resources to develop a comprehensive cancer rehabilitation program.

2005 Participants

Traditional Dietary Guide for Alaska Native Cancer Survivors
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium - Anchorage, Alaska
www.anthc.org
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) is a nonprofit tribal health organization owned and operated by Alaska Native tribal governments and their regional health organizations.  There are currently no tools to assist Alaska Native cancer survivors in maintaining a nutritional diet while using traditional subsistence foods, which vary by group and geographic region. The ANTHC will address this lack of resources by creating the Traditional Dietary Guide for Alaska Native Cancer Survivors, a comprehensive and regionally accurate nutritional guide, which will help Alaska Natives affected by cancer incorporate traditional foods and products of their subsistence lifestyles into their diets. 

Strong Survivors
Southern Illinois Healthcare - Carbondale, Illinois
www.sih.net
Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) is dedicated to providing compassionate treatment and advanced medical technology to people in need in southern Illinois.  Strong Survivors is a 12-week program that will empower cancer survivors at all treatment stages to make proactive choices about food and physical activity in order to instill future practice of positive behaviors. SIH will adapt the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' "You Can! Curriculum" and consult with its oncologists for direction on healthy behaviors to meet the needs of adult cancer survivors. The program will encourage cancer survivors to eat the recommended daily amounts of fruits, vegetables, fiber, calcium and other nutrients as well as to take part in regular physical activity recommended by their physician. A qualified instructor will work with each participant both in-class and one-on-one to develop healthy goals customized to the needs of each participating cancer survivor.

Clinic Exercise Program for Women Living with Cancer
Team Survivor California - Los Angeles, California
www.teamsurvivor-la.org
Team Survivor's mission is to enable women living with cancer to take an active role in regaining and maintaining their health.  In partnership with the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Breast Cancer Clinic, they have launched the Clinic Exercise Program for Women Living with Cancer, a free exercise program for women with cancer in underserved communities. The program offers a weekly, bi-lingual gentle yoga class for women patients at the clinic. Its goals are to provide women unfamiliar with exercise concepts with an opportunity to learn about and experience the benefits of exercise and stress reduction as well as to help them understand they will be better able to take care of their families if they are healthy themselves. The integrated process of healing that the program provides helps to remove several barriers that have prevented women in underserved communities from taking steps to improve their health and well-being.

Wellness for Life: For People Living With Cancer
The Comprehensive Cancer Program of Central Maine Medical Center - Lewiston, Maine
www.cmmc.org
The cancer care program at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) offers the sophisticated cancer care services available at big city hospitals with a level of personal attention usually found in community hospitals. Wellness for Life is a safe, affordable wellness program for oncology patients designed to improve health and well being through physical exercise and conditioning as well as mind, body and spirit modalities. The program includes opportunities for individual counseling, group or individual exercise programs, and participation in the Cancer Wellness and Support Group. Funding from the LAF will help expand the program by referring cancer patients requiring or requesting nutritional consultation to the Wellness for Life Registered Dietician, who is responsible for developing and facilitating education programs related to nutrition and exercise principles for cancer patients. 

Community REGAIN Project
University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center - Aurora, Colorado
www.uchsc.edu
The Community REGAIN Project at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center addresses well-documented racial and ethnic disparities in cancer survival through the targeted delivery and uptake of a rehabilitation program for minority cancer survivors in the Denver metropolitan area.  The objective of this program is to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors, particularly minority and underserved groups through preventive services, education and support.  This program will implement the Summit Exercise Program, which has previously served only female breast cancer patients, and actively recruit cancer survivors who might not normally be aware of these services. The fitness aspect of the program is designed to encourage participation by adding personalized exercise programs that can be home-based or in organized groups.  Funding from the LAF also supports various opportunities for education and support through seminars, workshops and group interaction.  The Community REGAIN Project fosters collaboration between existing agencies that provide psychosocial and tangible resources that will benefit cancer survivors long after the completion of this project.

Food for Life: Nutrition and Cooking Class Series for Cancer Survivors
The Cancer Project - Washington, D.C.
www.cancerproject.org
The Cancer Project (TCP) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research. The Food for Life Nutrition and Cooking Class Series helps cancer survivors take advantage of the healing powers of foods. Class participants are immersed in a world of new ideas and information about diet and cancer survival. Designed by physicians and registered dietitians, each class includes information about how foods and nutrients work to promote or discourage cancer growth, along with simple cooking demonstrations that can be recreated easily at home. The goal of this program is to empower cancer survivors with easy-to-implement cooking skills that turn every meal into a delicious dose of healthy nutrition.  Funding from the LAF will help in surveying satisfaction levels of participants and general diet changes as a result of attending the Food for Life series.

2004 Participants

Yoga for Children with Cancer
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center - Seattle, WA
www.seattlechildrens.org
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center (Children's) is the major regional pediatric referral center serving Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Children's is also the only pediatric teaching hospital in this region. The physical and occupational therapy department at Children's is creating a Yoga for Children with Cancer program in the hematology/oncology/bone marrow transplant inpatient department. No other such program exists in the Seattle area for this population. Once this program is established we will expand to provide an outpatient program. The yoga program has goals of improving strength, flexibility, endurance, mental well-being and enhanced quality of life.

Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy
Hillsborough, NC
www.hoop-dreams.net
The mission of Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy is "teaching successful life skills through athletics." A total of 12 children with illnesses including acute lymphocytic leukemia, neuroblastoma, glioblastoma multiforme, medulloblastoma and fibrillary astrocytoma currently are enrolled in these activities. Expansion of services and an increase in the number of children receiving these programs is limited primarily by operating funds. This grant allows Hoop Dreams to increase the scope of basketball lessons and the number of enrolled children as well as provide support for a new program focusing on personal training/group activity sessions, including an aerobic exercise program, a dynamic, resistive exercise program, and a yoga and stretch training program.

The Healthy Lifestyles Oncology Exercise Program
Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation - Kearney, NE
www.gshs.org
GSHS is a two-hospital system that serves approximately 350,000 people throughout central and western Nebraska, northern Kansas and northwestern Colorado. The Healthy Lifestyles Oncology Exercise Program pilot initiative is to provide cancer patients with exercise education and hands on training to improve their cancer recovery process, thus improving their overall quality of life. The program consists of our master's prepared exercise physiologist conducting an initial comprehensive fitness evaluation on each program participant. The program coordinator then develops an exercise program specific to the patient's individual needs, which the patient follows for three months. Following the completion of the program, the program coordinator completes a post-program evaluation including fitness level testing, attitude survey and overall program satisfaction. Additionally, the Program Coordinator then works with the participant to determine the on-going fitness plan.

Physical Activity Program
Interlakes Foundation
(Formerly Upstate New York Cancer Research and Education Foundation) - Rochester, NY
www.interlakesoncology.org
The goal of Interlake Foundation's physical activity program is to engage and motivate people who have survived a diagnosis of cancer to reach their physical and social potential through participation in a program of regular physical activity centered on cycling. This program includes regularly scheduled chaperoned outdoor bike rides, free access to local health clubs and regularly scheduled indoor spin classes.

Dragon Boat Training
TEAMSurvivor Madison, Inc. - Madison, WI
www.teamsurvivormadison.org
The mission of TEAMSurvivor Madison is to provide exercise opportunities for women diagnosed with cancer. Previously, there has never been a dragon boat training program for any paddle group in Madison. TEAMSurvivor Madison is in the process of developing and expanding a dragon boating program that provides a platform for women to come together for fitness, exercise and camaraderie. The exercise plan includes basic core training and training in the paddle stroke. New members are assigned an experienced "buddy" to help with questions. The program supports individualized assessment of fitness level, orientation and instruction. Actual water practices emphasize fitness and teamwork, with the goal of participating in a dragon boat event.

Helping Cancer Survivors Thrive
Wellness House - Hinsdale, IL
www.wellnesshouse.org
The Helping Cancer Survivors Thrive program: (a) provides a format for cancer survivors to develop individual goals and assessing progress toward those goals; (b) evaluates individual participation and progression within the program framework for eventual integration into the large group exercise classes plus independent exercise or a health club environment and (c) supports the incorporation of exercise or physical activity as a part of one's lifestyle. The program offers two classes, Exercise I and Exercise II. The purpose of both phases of the program is to provide the skills cancer survivors need for incorporating exercise into their lifestyle, and independent exercise is encouraged.

Exercise Program
Benedictine Hospital - Kingston, NY
www.benedictine.org
Using a new weight training concept with SmartBells equipment, sculptural weights that are appropriate for all fitness levels and blending elements of T'ai chi, yoga, aerobics and weight lifting, Benedictine Hospital is developing an exercise program that is fun, healthy and can easily be adjusted to meet the special requirements of those participants who have special needs according to their stage of cancer treatment or survivorship. This new program, using the flexibility of SmartBells, and the knowledge of the Program Coordinator/Instructor, Ujjala Schwartz, M.S.C., herself a cancer survivor, is tailored to specifically help those dealing with cancer at different stages and with very unique challenges associated with the individual's type of cancer. With three 12-week sessions per year, Benedictine Hospital is providing a continuous program that allows the participants to develop a consistent healthy pattern of exercise that optimistically has long-term benefits.

Life Enhancement Activity Program (LEAP): A Fitness Program for Cancer Survivors
Delta Regional Medical Center - Greenville, MS
www.deltaregional.com
Delta Regional Medical Center (DRMC) is providing a new exercise program, Life Enhancement Activity Program (LEAP): A Fitness Program for Cancer Survivors is available to any adult cancer patient living in the area served by DRMC. Project LEAP is designed to reduce fatigue and improve overall well-being of cancer patients by encouraging increased physical activity. Participants attend exercise classes twice a week for eight weeks at DRMC's Learning Pavilion. For those referred to the program who may be unable to attend the group exercise classes due to transportation or scheduling difficulties or physical limitations, we provide a "Sit and Be Fit" video. The group exercise classes are scheduled to precede the cancer support group, thus encouraging LEAP participants to stay for the support group activities. The educational support group addresses topics such as depression, nutrition, and lymphedema. The group meets each month at DRMC's Learning Pavilion.

Body and Soul
The Family Center - New York, NY
www.thefamilycenter.org
The Family Center, which received Community Program funding in 2003 for group mental health services to mothers living with cancer and their families, serves primarily single mothers, ages 25 to 50, each raising an average of three children. More than 90 percent are of African or Latin American heritage, 93 percent live below the poverty line, almost all are Medicaid-eligible. They have a range of cancer diagnoses, including breast, uterine, ovarian, vaginal, stomach, lung, sarcoma, and brain cancers. Founded in 1994, The Family Center is the first and only agency in New York City solely dedicated to helping support entire families through the difficulties caused by a parent's diagnosis of life-threatening illness, including cancer, HIV, leukemia and lupus. This grant supports the Body and Soul project, a cooperative program of gentle yoga, meditation, conscious relaxation, and breathing techniques to help reduce stress and increase physical, mental and emotional well being.

Body and Soul offers four cycles of eight weekly sessions each year, teaching clients yoga, meditation, relaxation, and breathing. Integrated with their ongoing family support work, this helps them address the complex challenges they face in family life, raising children, and managing illness. The Family Center believes these skills can greatly enhance their clients' quality of life, reduce physical discomfort, and provide a set of skills for reducing familial and parenting stress.

2003 Participants

Cancer Foundation for Life
Flint, Texas
www.cancerfoundationforlife.org
The Cancer Foundation for Life in Tyler, Texas, is an organization dedicated to providing cancer survivors with nurturing programs in the home and community to create a renewed enthusiasm for living. The organization strives to reach people within all stages of cancer who do not have the physical, emotional or fiscal resources to initiate a structured, monitored exercise program. A community grant from the LAF will enable the Cancer Foundation for Life to fund part-time patient facilitators to monitor participants' exercise programs both in their homes and in community centers. The grant will also be used to purchase two treadmills that the Cancer Foundation for Life will loan to program participants for use in their homes for the duration of the monitored program.

Cancer Wellfit
The Cancer Center at Saint Mary's Mercy Medical Center - Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.smmmc.org
Cancer Wellfit is a free, ten-week program developed by the Cancer Center at Saint Mary's Mercy Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The only structured exercise program of its kind in the community, Cancer Wellfit focuses on individualized progressive strength training and aerobic and flexibility exercises and promotes an environment of mutual support and encouragement among participants. The program offers 20 supervised exercise sessions for adult cancer patients and their primary supporters, who play an important role in encouraging and motivating their loved ones to engage in an exercise program. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will enable the continuation and expansion of this very successful pilot program.

Cancer Wellness Program
Indiana Regional Medical Center - Indiana, Pennsylvania
www.indianarmc.org
The LAF's 2003 community grant to Indiana Regional Medical Center will help establish a new cancer wellness program. The program, which is open to anyone diagnosed with cancer in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, will offer individualized exercise prescriptions including cardiovascular and endurance exercises. Participants will attend two exercise sessions each week under the direction of a certified exercise physiologist. The program will also offer yoga, nutritional counseling and massage therapy and will provide education about the importance of physical activity in the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Casting for Recovery Retreats
Casting for Recovery - Manchester, Vermont
www.castingforrecovery.org
Casting for Recovery, a nonprofit organization established in 1996, provides weekend support and educational retreats specifically tailored for women who have or have had breast cancer. A 2003 LAF community grant helped Casting for Recovery to provide unique educational retreats to women with a focus on underserved communities in Harlem and the Bronx, New York, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The retreats involve elements of fly - fishing to promote physical and mental healing. Program goals include focusing on wellness and empowerment through the sport of fly-fishing and providing a forum to broaden understanding of breast cancer survivorship.

Cotting Connection
Boston, Massachusetts
www.cottingco.com
In 2000, nine cancer survivors from across the country joined together as a team to train and race in the prestigious Head of the Charles rowing regatta. The team was called "One in Nine". A documentary film, presented by the non-profit Cotting Connection, depicts these events and educates and inspires cancer survivors, their physicians and their families by showcasing models of healthy, active survivor lifestyles. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will help Cotting Connection present 15 screenings of the documentary to medical schools, wellness centers and professional and social organizations in the Greater Boston area. Cotting Connection founder and breast cancer survivor Diane Cotting will speak at each screening. The grant will also enable participants to receive a free Survivor's Resource Handbook, which lists recommended resources to help survivors become physically active as well as healthcare providers in the Greater Boston area who are trained and experienced in working with cancer survivors .

Crossings: A Movement/Performance Workshop
The Creative Center - New York, New York
www.thecreativecenter.org
Each year The Creative Center in New York City reaches more than 7,000 women, men and children living with cancer through free workshop programs, a hospital artist-in-residence program and an international training program for hospital artists-in-residence. Recognizing that many of its program participants are physically limited as a result of their cancer experience, The Creative Center developed a pilot project in which fifteen women and three professional artists created an improvisational performance piece and experienced significant physical improvement as a result. Thanks to a 2003 community grant from the LAF, The Creative Center will expand on the success of this project to create Crossings, a 12-week, movement-based performance group that develops and strengthens the physical, psychological and social well-being of people living with cancer. Through ongoing workshops that include stretching, low-impact aerobics, contact improvisation and dance, participants gain a better awareness of their bodies, dispel feelings of isolation associated with cancer and improve muscular strength.

ENCORE: Encouragement, Normalcy, Counseling, Opportunity, Reaching Out, and Energies Revived
YWCA Pierce County - Tacoma, Washington
www.ywcapiercecounty.org
ENCORE (Encouragement, Normalcy, Counseling, Opportunity, Reaching Out, and Energies Revived) is an exercise program for breast cancer survivors that works in conjunction with a peer support group. Developed by the YWCA of Pierce County, Washington, ENCORE's goals are to help participants improve physical and emotional well-being. Each weekly, two-hour ENCORE group combines a peer support group session (often with an invited speaker) with a physical activity (such as yoga, aquatic exercise or Pilates) designed to increase range of motion, flexibility and strength. By combining peer support with exercise, the program fosters participants' encouragement of one another to be even more physically active. The YWCA specifically targets underserved populations, including women of color and low-income women, who are most at-risk of not receiving comprehensive breast cancer recovery services. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will sponsor ENCORE memberships for 25 new participants.

Fly-Fishing Retreat
Reel Recovery - Centennial, Colorado
www.reelrecovery.org
Reel Recovery was founded in 2003 and combines the sport of fly-fishing with support group discussion to address the lack in support and services for men who are living with, through and beyond cancer. Following an intimate pilot retreat in the summer that including four cancer survivors, the LAF 2003 award made possible a second retreat in October that expanded to serve a dozen men living with cancer. The grant also supports the development of marketing materials that will help Reel Recovery reach a national audience.

FOCUS: Families Overcoming Cancer and Utilizing Support
Cancer Support Center - Homewood, Illinois
www.cancersupportcenter.org
The Cancer Support Center in Homewood, Illinois is a pillar resource for people in more than 70 Chicago Southland and Northwest Indiana communities. In addition to support groups, individual and family counseling sessions and a comprehensive resource center, the Cancer Support Center offers wellness and physical activity programs that strengthen, calm, invigorate and uplift. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will launch FOCUS: Families Overcoming Cancer and Utilizing Support, a program to motivate cancer patients to adopt a physical activity program through support and education. The LAF grant will fund a two-day retreat, an ongoing fitness program, a video and assessment throughout and after the first year of the program.

"Getting Strong" Oncology Rehab Program
Partners for a Healthy Community - Anderson, South Carolina
www.healthy-community.org
Partners for a Healthy Community is a non-profit organization serving residents of rural Anderson County, South Carolina. Many cancer patients in the area do not equate physical exercise with a smoother recovery and future good health, and many do not have the resources to pay for health education or rehabilitation beyond insurance coverage. To address this need, Partners for a Healthy Community created the "Getting Strong" Oncology Rehab Program, an eight-week program made possible by a 2003 community grant from the LAF. "Getting Strong", the only oncology rehab program in Anderson County, will provide exercise and education to 60 cancer patients to enable their recovery, to effect a lifestyle change and to encourage physicians to recognize associated benefits and practice the referral of cancer patients to physical rehab.

Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
www.nmhs.net/hcf
The Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi is a non-profit fundraising organization for the North Mississippi Health Services system, which operates five wellness centers in rural counties in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. A community grant from the LAF will enable North Mississippi Health Services to provide physical activity programs for people living with, through and beyond cancer. The project, which builds on a successful wellness pilot project conducted in 2002, aims to promote physical activity and its related benefits among cancer patients and survivors. To promote patient participation, a portion of grant funds will be used for physician education and specialized training in cancer wellness for health instructors.

Journeys Project
Danny's Team - Durham, New Hampshire
www.dannysteam.org
A 2003 community grant from the LAF will help launch the Journeys Project, a pilot program designed to examine and promote the viability of adventure programming as a complement to treatment for people experiencing cancer. A program of Danny's Team - a non-profit organization serving those who are challenged physically, mentally, economically or socially - the Journeys Project will include two adventure-based workshops designed for young adults ages 18 to 24 from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, whose lives have been affected by cancer. The project will also evaluate the effects of the adventure experience on recovery and will disseminate evaluation results through journal articles, conference presentations and workshops.

Mind-Body-Spirit Programs
Wellness Community of Philadelphia - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.twcp.org
The Wellness Community of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization with the mission to provide a professional program of support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones. A 2003 LAF community grant will fund a portion of the group's comprehensive Mind-Body-Spirit programs, designed as a complement to traditional medical treatment. The program offers appropriate exercise programs, including yoga, T'ai Chi and Qi Gong, to those living with cancer and those post-treatment to promote relaxation, improve flexibility and enhance health. The LAF grant will help the Wellness Community of Philadelphia continue to offer these programs free of charge to more than 10,000 individuals living with cancer in the Philadelphia region.

Mobilizing Mobile Against Cancer
Providence Hospital Rehabilitation and Wellness Center - Mobile, Alabama
www.providencehospital.org
Providence Hospital, its Oncology Center and its Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Mobile, Alabama offer a multitude of cancer services to the Northern Gulf Coast region, yet they note the lack of physical activity programming for cancer patients in the area. Thanks to a 2003 community grant from the LAF, the organizations will create Mobilizing Mobile Against Cancer. The program will provide integrated physical reconditioning, body awareness and clinical nutrition programs specifically designed for cancer patients during and after treatment. Providence Hospital, recognizing the importance of educating physicians as to the benefit of physical activity in cancer treatment, will also produce a scientifically-based brochure that will be distributed to all members of the Medical Society of Mobile.

Steps Toward Wellness
Charles R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital - Glens Falls, New York
www.glensfallshospital.org
The Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital is a multi-faceted and integrated program that provides comprehensive cancer treatment, prevention, early detection, clinical research and a wide variety of education and support services to people in a 3,000-square-mile region of rural northeastern New York. A 2003 community grant from the LAF encourages ongoing physical activity by providing low-income cancer survivors with three-month memberships to the Glens Falls Hospital Wellness Center after participating in Steps Toward Wellness, a free, six-week support program incorporating activity and exercise.

Strides to Strength
Presbyterian Hospital Cancer Center - Charlotte, North Carolina
www.presbyterian.org
Strides to Strength is a cancer wellness program designed to help maintain and/or improve quality of life for cancer patients of the Presbyterian Cancer Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 12-week, 24-session program helps men and women of all ages achieve physical and emotional recovery for those undergoing cancer treatment or recovering from its effects. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will provide full scholarships for 30 cancer survivors to attend Strides to Strength and receive a personalized exercise program geared toward lifestyle and recovery goals, an individualized nutritional plan and regular educational and support group meetings.

Summit Cancer Exercise Program -
Colorado Parks and Recreation Association - Wheat Ridge, Colorado
www.cpra-web.org
The Summit Cancer Exercise Program evolved from a wellness program for breast cancer survivors to a wide-reaching support and wellness program for all cancer survivors in the Denver area, thanks in part to a 2003 community grant from the LAF. The program's goal is to provide cancer survivors with a uniquely tailored, accessible and affordable exercise program to assist them in cancer recovery. The grant will help the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association expand the Summit Cancer Exercise Program to offer additional program sites in the Denver metropolitan area and provide the program in a Latino community.

Survivor Promenade 7
Active Survivors Network - Towson, Maryland
www.activesurvivor.org
The Active Survivors Network focuses on connecting people whose lives have been affected by serious illnesses or diseases such as cancer with the support and resources they need to remain active along with increasing public awareness of survivor disabilities through advocacy and education. The Active Survivors Network achieves their purpose through the promotion of physical fitness whether in the form of regular exercise or participation in athletic competition. A 2003 LAF community grant helped create The Survivor Promenade 7, a seven-mile road race along Baltimore's Inner Harbor Promenade. The race, scheduled in September 2004, will show survivors as athletes and will provide motivation and living evidence to cancer survivors that recovery is possible.

Vitality! Exercising the Road to Survival
The Research Foundation of SUNY/Upstate Medical University - Syracuse, New York
www.upstate.edu
To better understand the role of exercise in cancer patients and survivors, the Research Foundation of State University of New York (SUNY) and Upstate Medical University created Vitality! Exercising the Road to Survival, a ten-week comprehensive fitness program for adult cancer survivors. The program, launched with the help of a 2003 community grant from the LAF, offers both an individualized exercise program as well as an educational component. The program will run three times during the course of the first year and will strive to replicate the success of its similar existing programs for patients with arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Participants will work with a trained exercise physiologist to develop a treatment program with specific goals and will attend three one-hour sessions per week.

WeCanRow Program
Row as One Institute, Inc. - Newton, Massachusetts
www.rowasone.org
WeCanRow (Women Enduring Cancer Row) is designed to step in where breast cancer treatment leaves off - with a free wellness program that uses rowing to increase strength, flexibility and overall fitness in a team environment that builds a positive support system. WeCanRow is a program of the Row As One Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by Olympic gold medallist Holly Metcalf. WeCanRow promotes physical, emotional and social recovery from cancer surgery by creating an environment in which survivors can gain back their strength, form relationships with other survivors and gain a love for exercise through the sport of rowing. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will fund the salary for the program's head coach and program director and help WeCanRow enhance its program offerings.

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2002 Participants

Rush-Miller Foundation
www.rushmillerfoundation.org
The Lance Armstrong Foundation has awarded the Rush-Miller Foundation a grant to provide tandem bicycles to three children who have lost their eyesight due to their cancer. Based in Pueblo, Colorado, the Rush-Miller Foundation serves blind children nationwide by providing them with tandem bicycles so that they can enjoy the experience of riding their first bike. The LAF is thrilled to help the Rush-Miller Foundation enhance the quality of life for these children and to help encourage physical activity as an important part of the survivorship experience.

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