Community Advocate
Sept. 14, 2007, Northboro, MA
Region - Breast cancer survivor and Northborough native Tammy Cardillo will host
the fifth annual Tammy Cardillo Benefit, also known as
"Taking Care of Business," at White Cliff s in
Northborough Friday Oct. 19 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The event will raise money for breast cancer research
and build awareness about the disease.
Cardillo, a graduate of Algonquin Regional High School and
Nichols College, has been working for Hewlett-Packard for
the past 17 years. She lives in Palm Harbor, Fla., but
also has a house in Shrewsbury so she can come home to
visit friends, family and to continue her passion of
raising awareness throughout the community for breast cancer.
This is her fifth annual benefit and she has raised more
than a quarter of a million dollars for breast cancer research.
"It's not about the money," she said. "It's about building
awareness and educating others about the disease."
Cardillo detected her own cancer at age 31 while doing a self
breast exam. She stressed the importance for young women to
do this because it's not until age 35 that a woman typically
gets a base-line mammogram done. By then it would have been
too late, she said. That's what drives her to educate women.
"To me it's just getting people [to understand] the importance
of doing self breast exams," Cardillo said.
The disease has changed her outlook on life, she said. Her own
diagnosis came two years after her mother, Carol Schwab, was
diagnosed at age 50 with the same disease.
The mother-daughter duo works tireless hours to educate and
support others who have breast cancer.
"We really have taken this from a devastating situation to
something positive. It's my way of giving back," Cardillo
said.
Part of that is being available to other women who have the
disease, even if it is just to listen and offer some
positive words.
"My advice to women who have been diagnosed with this disease
is to educate themselves, stay positive and be comfortable
with their doctor when choosing their path of treatment,"
Cardillo said.
One thing that was difficult for Cardillo was that she had no
peers to talk to when she was diagnosed; she was young,
single and still dating. How would she explain hair loss
and radiation treatments to a date, she wondered. Now,
however, she is engaged.
The fund-raiser
This year's event at White Cliff s will include auctions and
raffles for prizes such as a vacation to West Palm Beach,
Fla., at a five-star resort. Tickets to New England Patriots
and Red Sox games will also be raffled and a table of sports
memorabilia will be on display.
The event will include a buffet dinner with carving stations serving
beef, pasta, turkey and vegetables. A disc jockey will be
there for entertainment, and Cardillo will speak. Tickets
are $50. Guests and businesses are invited to sponsor tables
in memory, in honor or in support of someone who has had
breast cancer.
Proceeds go toward the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham
and Women's Breast Cancer Research.
Cardillo constantly works to support research for breast cancer.
October is breast cancer month," she said, "but it's not just one
month of the year we should focus on this disease, it should
be each and every day."
To get more information or to sponsor a table, contact Cardillo at
tammycardillobenefit@yahoo.com. Also check
tcbannual.com for updates on the benefit.
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