The Blue Jacket Fashion Show brings together athletes, actors, business leaders, musicians, and this year me, to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer research.
I got up at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in order to leave work early enough for my daughter and I too catch a 1:15 P.M. flight out of Portland. We arrived at Lagardia airport at 11:30 that evening. I don’t think we made it to bed until after two. My daughter was so excited to be in The Big Apple that she got very little sleep. As soon as we got into our room she ordered room service Mac and cheese. She looked like a princess. We woke early, showered and headed to a Taylor for last minute alterations to my Geoffrey Beene designer suit.
After the fitting appointment, my daughter and I, together with a friend from Share Network, were able to steal a few hours for a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Our daughter has had a rough year and a half since graduating. Let’s face it. Adulting sucks. She wanted to go to New York so incredibly bad. It was a pleasure to take her with me. I don’t think she wanted to come home though.
After our Statue trip and a warm up at Starbucks, we returned to the hotel via a 911 Memorial drive by and a detour through Chelsey Market for lunch and to buy Wine and Chocolate for Amanda. Mandy gave up her seat to allow our daughter to go.
The fashion show was a blast. I felt a little out of my element as I was directed to go up the stairs with the rest of the models. “ Model”
“You gotta be kidding me” Typically The only thing I wear is Camo and Levi’s!! My nerves began to build. It didn’t last. Once things got started it was just a whole lot of fun. I jokingly suggested that this years Blue Jacket Event must have a “Short Ugly Theme” Thank goodness I wasn’t the only short guy. I was the only ugly one though. That didn’t last either. Though they had little to work with they did their best to make me pretty.
I think they did pretty good!
This was a wonderful event. I am honored to be a part of it and wish to publicly thank Johnson and Johnson as well as the share network for this incredible opportunity. I was the second person to be considered to walk the runway. The other gentleman, (A wonderful human being who is much taller and better looking than I ) was not well enough to travel. This leads me to the focus of this blog entry.
When I was diagnosed there were very few treatments available for men in my shoes. We have come so far. Pharmaceutical company have brought many new and wonderful treatment to the world in the last 12 years. Men with advanced prostate cancer now have multiple options for taming the beast. Every day we edge closer to a cure. We are not there yet. My friend is living testimony that our work is not done. 30,000 Americans will die of Prostate Cancer this year. My friends are still dying. Each of these men is somebody’s father, grandfather, son, or husband. We can do better. We must do better. I am so grateful that the treatments I have been on or am currently on (Zytiga, Provenge, Lupron, Casodex) have worked so well for me. My life is a beautiful, wonderful, exciting ride. We cannot rest. We must keep pushing the research forward until no wife, child, or parent has to say “ The man that I loved died of Prostate Cancer.”
If you are reading this, I urge you to make a donation to Ustoo, the ProstateCancerFoundation, or a similar charity that funds Prostate Cancer Research. Your donation may one day save the life of someone you love.
