health & fitness
Heroes
And Friends
Cancer Thrivers'
co-founder
receives award
named in memory
of courageous
comrade.
S
andy Schwartz of Franklin,
a co-founder of the Cancer
Thrivers Network for Jewish
Women, has been recognized by the
Karmanos Cancer Institute as a "Hero
of Breast Cancer."
At an Oct. 11 ceremony, Schwartz
received the Geri Lester Courage
Award, given to an individual whose
battle with breast cancer has been
an inspiration to family,
friends and community.
Sandy and Geri were,
in fact, friends. Geri lost
her 20-year battle with
breast cancer in 2003, but
memories of her brave,
cheerful attitude still
inspire others fighting the
disease.
Schwartz was one of
Geri Lester
12 individuals and orga-
circa 1998
nizations honored this
year by Karmanos. The
17th annual "Heroes of Breast Cancer"
awards were presented before more
than 200 guests at the Max M. Fisher
Music Center in Detroit. Television
personality and health reporter Lila
Lazarus served as emcee.
"I am most honored to receive the
Geri Lester Courage Award:' Schwartz
said. "Geri and I worked together on
many projects, and she was a genuine
role model for me and for all who had
the privilege to know her."
Lester was a leader of the Komen
Detroit Race for the Cure since its
1992 inception and was integral to the
development of the "Heroes of Breast
Cancer" program. She was a found-
ing member of Gilda's Club of Metro
Detroit and dedicated herself to bring-
ing supportive and educational ser-
vices to the cancer community. Lester,
herself, was a 2002 "Heroes of Breast
Cancer" courage awardee.
This year's award was presented to
Schwartz by Geri's son Matt Lester.
Schwartz helped establish the
Cancer Thrivers Network for Jewish
Sandy Schwartz, a
"Hero of Breast Cancer"
Women in 2008. The Thrivers' mis-
sion is to enrich and empower Jewish
women through activities, friendship,
resources, education and humor. The
network welcomes women who have
been diagnosed with any kind of
cancer at any time in their lives. The
program is sponsored by the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit.
Along with her hus-
band, Alan S. Schwartz,
vice chairman and
partner of the law
firm Honigman Miller
Schwartz and Cohn and
a Karmanos board chair,
Sandy has shown an
exemplary commitment
to the cancer communi-
ty. She and her husband
recognize that, despite
current economic chal-
lenges, the war on cancer
never stops.
Courage Against Cancer
"I think Geri would agree that courage
is simply moving forward in the face
of a cancer diagnosis by putting one
foot in front of the other every day,
and making it the best day that it can
be',' Schwartz said.
"When I heard that I had received an
award created in Geri's memory, I was
both delighted and overwhelmed. In that
brief phone call, my mind was flooded
with memories of my feelings at the
time of diagnosis, going back 34 years.
"I have never felt courageous;'
Schwartz added, "but I am still
very proud to join the roster of the
Karmanos Heroes of Breast Cancer,
and to have the opportunity to
remember and celebrate Geri Lester."
Schwartz's strength and dignity as a
breast cancer survivor remains stead-
fast, serving as an example to others
and a reminder that each person do
what they can — and everyone can do
something. Fl
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