• Date: Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 @ 5:30pm
• Location: Honeywell Offices 5th Floor
  101 Constitution Avenue
  Washington, D.C.

Please be sure to join us at Pitchin’ Posters 2010 and continue to check this site for updated information.

Pitchin’ Posters 2009 was a huge success. The event showcased state-winning children’s posters from the SunWise with SHADE National Poster Contest, the presentation of the “Rays of Hope Leadership Award” to Senator McCain for his efforts towards the eradication of skin cancer and the announcement of the overall national poster contest winner, Christoffer age 13, from Bernville, PA.

Senator McCain (AZ) receives the ‘Rays of Hope’ Leadership Award, May 10

Last year’s Committee members included:

Committee Chairs

• Senator John McCain (AZ)
• Senator Edward Kennedy (MA)
• Shonda Schilling
• Administrator Marianne Horinko
• Secretary Michael Chertoff
• Fmr. Rep. Bill Zeliff (NH)

Congressional Co-Chairs

• Senator Pat Leahy (VT)
• Senator Samuel Brownback (KS)
• Senator John Kerry (MA)
• Senator Judd Gregg (NH)
• Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
• Senator Olympia Snowe (ME)
• Rep. Charles Dent (PA)
• Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS)
• Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO)
• Rep. Fred Upton (MI)
• Rep. Michael Capuano (MA)
• Rep. Peter King (NY)
• Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ)
• Rep. Bill Delahunt (MA)
• Rep. Sue Myrick (NC)
• Rep. Dan Lungren (CA)

Register now for the 2010 SunWise with SHADE Poster Contest.  We have already started receiving posters. Congratulations Jenkins Creek ES in Covington, WA; they were the first school to submit posters!  We have also received posters from MI and VA — way to go early birds!  Get registered now and send in those posters!

View the Poster Contest in the news.

Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your kids before they leave for school.  Even though the temps may drop this time of year, the UVA and UVB rays can still burn.  Check the UV Index for your area!

Spring Training has always been my favorite time of year.
It meant in just a short time we would be packing away
the hats, gloves and winter sweaters.  In no time our
shorts and flip flops would be replaced in our closets.
If you live in a place like Boston or Maryland (where I grew up)
you were sick of winter after Christmas and ready to feel the warmth
of a summer day.  When I was younger it meant visions of summer vacation
and as an adult it reminds me of the beginning of a new baseball season.
We can still have those feelings and be safe at the same time.
Lets start from the beginning by remembering to apply sunblock
to our children and ourselves.  Remember our skin is our biggest
living organ on our body.  It protects everything in our body.
Lets keep our skin safe and get a healthy jump on spring which
is right around the corner.
Shonda

Jan 2010

I know it has been a long time since I have written on this blog.
I did something I never thought I would do.  I wrote a book!
As of yesterday it is complete and ready to go to print.
The book is called “The Best Kind of Different”  My family’s
journey through Aspergers.  Like SHADE this was a very
healing process for me.  My third child has Aspergers.
The release date is March 23rd and you can pre-order it at Amazon.com .

I do hope that during these much colder months
that you take this oppurtunity to really look at your
body for changes in your skin.  This is the best time
to do so.  Our bodies have not been exposed to the sun
too much when it is 20 degrees outside like here in New England.

Wishing everyone a Healthy, Happy 2010.
Stay Shaded,
Shonda

Oct 2009

Hello Everyone,

I spoke at the Glenna Kohl Fund For Hope’s First Annual Angel’s Masquerade Ball on Saturday, October 17th.  This is in memory of my dear friend who recently lost her battle with melanoma.

15 years ago I stood before the FDA waiting for my turn to give my
testimony on a clinical drug trial for ALS.

One by one I heard families plead to have the drug.

They explained what could happen in a human life over the course of
three months, because that was the average increase in life expectancy
of a person taking this clinical drug.

One person in particular who was in her mid thirties explained what
three more months would have meant to her husband:

celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary

watching their son turn 9
seeing their daughter’s first dance recital

and watching their third child start kindergarten

This moment will be etched in my memory forever. How much time three
months really means.

As I stood there shaking and crying, I searched to find the words that
could even come close to the message that this person was giving.

As I walked to the podium carrying my one year old son, I shook and cried
so hard that my husband had to find the words to say to the four stone
faced adults, who sat on the board and with a yay or a nay, approved or
denied a request.

Many of you probably don’t know how I came to know Glenna.  When Red Sox
nation was so excited about our coming to the Boston one person reached
out to me to say “Welcome, I love what you are doing, I too am a melanoma
survivor.”

The email friendship began.  Over the next three years we kept in touch
on our health, our families, and of course our Red Sox.

I remember the first time I ever met Glenna. It was with her brother and
during a rain delay on what ended up being a very long game.

Glenna was always positive, smiling and never seemed to complain.

She touched my heart for so many reasons.

She was graceful and confident even though you knew her days and months
had to be filled with needing a break.

We would check in with each other time to time and once or twice a year
I would invite her to the game so we could catch up.

I was fortunate to meet mom and dad also.

I introduced her to Kelli Pedroia at one of these games.

Just as I thought Glenna had a way of making you feel good being around
her.

Kelli would always check in to see how Glenna was doing.  Of course
Glenna’s version was always positive and filled with humor.

As Glenna rooted for the Red Sox, the Red Sox rooted for Glenna.

Even though Glenna was sick she worked hard to spread the word about
melanoma and how it could be prevented.  She shared her story only to
make a difference.

She was a good person with a heart of gold.

When Glenna passed it broke all of our hearts.

She was too young and spent too long fighting.

I was shocked when I saw a picture of Glenna with long beautiful blonde
hair.

She was a very beautiful girl.

You see, I had never seen Glenna not sick or with hair.

The confidence that she showed and love of life was all that I could
see.

I would be lying though, if I said I saw her without hair, because Glenna
always wore a Red Sox hat!

If you are wondering why I started telling the story of standing before
the FDA here it is:

I can not tell you anything that you don’t already know about Glenna.

What I can tell you is what I learned after the FDA hearing, that like
ALS or melanoma, not one voice will change the world.  It was the stories
that were told that day; the stories that will be told of Glenna for
years to come.

Glenna in her darkest days still looked to help others.  That is what
she wanted.  Tonight is a perfect example of carrying her legacy on.  Her
passing will bring life to others.

I love the saying:

What we do for ourselves dies with us.  What we do for others lives on!

Glenna’s name will live on through each of us in the stories that we
share about her courage and love of life.  Thank you to each and every one
of you out there tonight for being here.

Thank you to the Kohl family for sharing her with everyone.  We are all
better people for knowing her.

Please let us all have a good time tonight and celebrate Glenna’s life.

Shonda Schilling

SHADE Foundation of America is dedicated to eradicating melanoma through the education of children and the community in the prevention and detection of skin cancer and the promotion of sun safety. One in Five children will grow up to develop skin cancer.  With your help we can reduce these growing numbers and prevent skin cancer through education.

Tony Darling

David McWilliams

Thomas Stobo

Amber Iannello

Nicole Matcuk

Matt Herring

Gina Herring

Jeff Daer

Marin Velarde

David Sola

SHADE Foundation staff manned water station 7 with Arrowhead Health and had a great time cheering on the runners as we handed out water.

• Date: Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 @ 6pm
• Cost:
  • $150 Regular Ticket
  • $250 Couples tickets (before November 15th)
  • $250 VIP Ticket, includes entrance into pre-event VIP reception
• Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
  10 Avery Street
  Boston, MA 02111

Please join your hosts Curt and Shonda Schilling for the 3rd Annual Bubbles and Bites, to benefit SHADE Foundation of America.

Event Description

Attend a festive evening at The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common enjoying cuisine prepared by Boston’s top chefs, champagne stations, and live and silent auctions. Last year, over $80,000 was raised to help SHADE prevent skin cancer through education.

Buy Tickets

Tickets available online or at (602) 424‑7190.  Ticket sales close on Tuesday December 8th, 2009 at 5pm. Tickets will NOT be available at the door.

Featured Chefs

• Chef Todd English, Olives
• Chef Dante de Magistris, dante
• Chef Jeffery Fournier, 51 Lincoln
• Chef Tony DeRienzo, Waterfront Grille
• Chef Shingara ‘Pepino’ Singh, DaVinci
• Chef Brian Poe, Poe’s Kitchen at the Rattlesnake
• Chef Jonathan Olson, The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
• The Hard Rock Cafe
• Rodney Murrillo, Avila Mediterranean Restaurant
• Jeremy Sewell, Eastern Standard
• Evan Percoco, Bokx 109

Sponsorship Information

If you are interested in Sponsoring Bubbles and Bites please see the information below, or contact (602) 424‑7190 or amy@shadefoundation.org  for more information.
Download the Sponsorship Letter
Download the Sponsorship Reply Form
Download Boston A.I.R. Letter

Auction Information

Featured Auction Items to come!
To donate an auction item to this event, please review the auction Item donation form contact (602) 424‑7190 or amy@shadefoundation.org   for more information.

Download 2008 Boston B&B Slideshow

Kate Devine

Karen Litsky

Matthew Coughin

Kami Alessandro

Athletes who run as part of Team SHADE have guaranteed entry into the marathon. In exchange we are asking each runner to raise $2,000 in support of SHADE’s mission. Please help them meet their goals by contributing today!

Bubbles & Bites

to benefit SHADE Foundation of America

• Date: Friday, October 16th, 2009 @ 7pm
• Location: Poolside at the Millennium Resort
  7401 North Scottsdale Road
  Scottsdale, AZ 85260

A wonderful evening was had by all as we enjoyed live music from PHEED and a fashion show by White House Black Market. We had a nice response to our silent auction and Panda bear raffle the money raised will directly support our programs such as “Limit the Sun not the Fun” and our National Poster contest.

Check back soon for pictures of this years events! We look forward to seeing you all next year!

Many THANKS to our sponsors of the night!

For Questions;

Email Sandra@shadefoundation.org or call (602) 424‑7190.

Track Shonda and Peggy on their 26.2 mile run for SHADE.

Shonda’s bib number 9913         Peg’s bib number 9912

Shonda Schilling and Peg Morandini wives of two baseball greats are running the 2009 Chicago Marathon in support of SHADE Foundation! Please help support them in their goal of raising $30,000  by making a donation on this page.

You can also support their run by joining Shonda and Curt Schilling for a pre-race fundraiser! There will be raffle prizes and an auction for a trip to Boston to see the White Sox vs Red Sox!

October 10th 2009

5:00–7:00 pm

Brendan’s Pub

3169 N Broadway Street

Chicago Il 60657

Phone 773–929-2929

Tickets are available at the Pub for $100.00

Tickets are limited to the first 60 people!

Please see Brendan’s for more details!

Through the years, 152 solo swimmers have crossed the Catalina Channel. This 21 mile swim in turbulent waters and unusual weather conditions … high, gale force winds; dense fog; great and swift seas; strong currents; pounding surf; treacherous rocks and reefs; and the presence of potentially dangerous marine creatures will be a challenge for Kathie and Melissa but one they are ready to tackle.

Kathie and Melissa are raising funds for SHADE Foundaiton of America to support our programs and to increase awareness of skin cancer and melanoma.

Please consider making a donation!

Strike Out Skin Cancer, the SHADE bowling tournament hosted by Ryan Family Amusements in Millis, MA  raised over $8,000.  Thank you to all the lane sponsors and to everyone who turned up for a great evening of bowling fun.

Check out these other great pictures from the tournament!