These kids … they take my breathe away. I’ve said this at least a dozen times in the last two years: today’s students have embraced the spirit of philanthropy at such an early age, they are capable of changing the world.

Anyway, there is nothing quite like walking that survivor lap at a Relay for Life event. To look out at a crowd of supporters as you go, each one offering you heartfelt applause as you pass, each face smiling and encouraging you to move forward … it leaves me exhilarated even now, the morning after, sitting here in my living room reflecting upon the night.

My speech went well — except for the fact that I was introduced as having an incredible story that they were happy to have me share again this year and my story wasn’t part of my speech! So, I had to wing it; I think all seasoned speakers know that the best speeches aren’t completely scripted anyway, but it sure does rock the nerves when that happens.

A video clip will be up this weekend, my husband has assured me that he’ll take care of it. In it, you’ll get a glimpse of the survivor t-shirt they gave me and the other survivors at the door (why did I bother trying to figure out what to wear ahead of time?).

But, here’s a look right now at their other gifts they bestowed upon me and my husband. The travel coffee mug is MINE even though, as my husband pointed out, it’s not pink therefore he should be the rightful owner.

I reminded him that my favorite color was purple and just because I love the pink ribbon, I’m not limited to pink possessions.

He, of course, gets the baseball cap. I’d love to see him use a pink bat to return one of my pitches!

Anyway, what a great night. Congratulations to the students at Fairfield University on an excellent, successful event.

When I get the numbers from my contacts at the University and the ACS I’ll let you know how many people attended and how much money they raised. Some, more to come on that. Time to fill up my mug and hit the road — it’s little league season and there’s a lot of ball being played today in this town.

(Images: Karen Lynch)

Post from: Blisstree

Fairfield University’s 2008 Relay for Life

“A talk will be held at the reception by Fairfield alum and cancer survivor Karen Lynch, who spoke last year’s opening ceremony at last year’s Relay For Life.”

I did speak at the event last year — I’m frequently tapped as a survivor speaker for the American Cancer Society. I’ll toot my own horn for a minute and share this with you, a recent endorsement I received from an employee at the ACS:

“Each time I hear Karen Lynch speak, I am moved by her courage, inspired by her passion, and reminded that her story could belong to any of us. Karen has the rare ability to let the listener feel the full weight of her topic in such a candid, intimate style – it’s almost as if one of your smartest, funniest friends had pulled up a stool at your kitchen counter to chat.”

Robin Flay
American Cancer Society

That’s why I keep saying yes to this woman in particular … because flattery will get you everywhere with me!

No, seriously. I say yes because I truly believe that I am here on this earth to use my voice, written and spoken, to make a difference in the lives of survivors.

Anyway, enough of that … back to tonight’s speech. For me, speech writing isn’t difficult (being that I’m a writer and all). But if you’re ever asked to speak as a survivor (or a caregiver) and you’re hesitant because you’re not a writer, don’t fret.

Here’s what you need to do if you’re ever invited to be a survivor/caregiver speaker. First:

Consider the audience: Who are you speaking to? What do you know about them? How old are they? Where do they live?

Determine the purpose of the speech: Why are you speaking to them? What are they supposed to get out of it? Inspiration? Motivation? Encouragement?

Then … get to work on writing the speech. You need to:

Establish your credibility: Why you are the one speaking? What is your connection to the crowd?

Create a hook: A way to draw them in and get their attention. Anecdotes, statistics, that kind of thing.

Give a preview: Tell them what you are going to be telling them during the course of your speech.

Write the body: Make it purposeful; consider the points you want to make. Make it logical; progress sequentially from one point to the next. Make it clear; don’t get bogged down with complicated sentence structures — you need to be able to eloquently speak what you’ve written.

Nail your conclusion: Summarize (tell them what you told them) then leave them with a call to action.

So … wish me luck. My husband will videotape and I’ll share the speech with you over the weekend.

Post from: Blisstree

How to Write a Speech as a Survivor Speaker