THE 12TH ANNUAL TASTE OF HOPE SURVIVOR HONOREE

Hey everybody! I realize it’s been a while since I’ve posted on our blog, but I’m back and stronger than ever this spring. Because the days are getting longer and the weather is getting nicer, there’s no better time than today to share my latest adventure in the city with you. This past May was quite an exciting time for me, as I was chosen to be honored at Taste of Hope in New York City. For those who haven’t heard of this annual event, it’s an evening where guests can try local food while raising awareness and money for cancer.

 

When my assistant told me about the American Cancer Society, I knew I had to reach out to the organization and offer to help with these efforts in the city. The ACS, which I’ve been working with ever I since, is the organization behind Taste of Hope. Because I’m so fond of the way the everyone involved with the ACS works to save lives while trying to create a world without cancer, I was delighted to learn I was invited to the event. The most exciting part of becoming more involved with ACS was that they also chose me to be their survivor honoree this year.

The ACS is special to me for many reasons, so I was thrilled to be honored on May 9th. Given that I’m so proud of the charity work each and every member of the organization does around the city, I felt honored to become a part of this inspiring effort to raise money and fight cancer. The great work that the ACS and its sponsors do every year showed me how powerful people can be when they come together. Because the community has dedicated so much time and hard work to making a difference, I’m proud to be one of the people encouraging others to hope.

As you may already know, I’m a cancer survivor who’s always looking for ways to interact with the community. I strive to show people they should never give up, so attending and serving as an honoree at Taste of Hope was the chance of a lifetime for me. With my focus on helping people who have or know someone with cancer, I was ready to team up with this organization to support both cancer patients and their families. My experience at Taste of Hope showed me that people are very willing to help others, which you’ll see in this glimpse into my time at the event.

 

 

The first feeling I had when I found out about my role as the survivor honoree was excitement, and then I became nervous as the night drew closer. Because I come from a small town in Israel, I never dreamed about being honored in a big city, especially not THE big city. This night, where I was being recognized as a survivor and a fighter right here in New York City, meant so much to me. Once I was asked to attend the event and give a speech, I couldn’t stop thinking about how privileged I am to support and speak on the behalf of the cancer community.

If you think about the fact that beating cancer was the hardest thing I’ve done in my life, you’ll understand how glad I felt to share my story. I faced obstacles head-on in both before and after cancer, so overcoming my speech was just another way I could prove myself to the cancer community. Given that English wasn’t my first language, I was determined to make sure my way of speaking reached both cancer patients and the people hoping to help them. The speech made me feel nervous from start to finish, but I would’ve never even thought about passing up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

 

 

I worked with my fabulous publicist to prepare my speech and then picked out the most beautiful dress to get ready for Taste of Hope. Once I figured out how I was going to deliver my words, I couldn’t stop thinking about how excited I was to inspire hope. The days before the event had me practicing my speech, and, after I acquired my sparkling black gown, I was ready to share my story everyone. Even though I was so nervous about marching up on stage and talking to everybody, I walked up there and enjoyed every minute of recounting my experiences.

When I was greeted by my close friends and colleagues after the speech, I knew that their support for me could be recreated in the community. My body was trembling and my voice was shaking when I finally made it to and from the stage, but I knew I could be myself and tell my story. With my battle with cancer at the back of my mind, I knew my experiences could help someone else down the road. I’m more dedicated than ever to raising cancer awareness, so now I’m motivated to connect with our customers at Arianna in the same way moving forward.

 

 

I feel responsible for serving the cancer community, so, as your honoree, I’m committed to donating money and speaking about this important cause. When I think about my speech and the night as a whole, I can still hear the cheers and congratulations from the crowd. The thought that the people in the room were inspired by my story shows me that cancer awareness will always be close to my heart. Whether it’s the ACS or another organization that makes the next discoveries in this field, I’m looking forward to helping initiate change and work towards a cure.

Before you power down your electronics and go out to enjoy the day, I wanted to let you know we have a great summer planned here at Arianna Skincare. We’ve launched our new website and have a new skin care line coming soon, so expect new ways to improve yourself in the next few years. Because the summertime can be especially tough on your skin, I’ve also put together three tips for you to keep in mind. You can use these three reminders as a way to protect, take care of and enjoy your skin this summer before I tell you about our next big event this season.

 

 

Here are three ways to prepare your body for a healthy, happy summer: ALWAYS wear sunscreen, drink A LOT of water and NEVER go tanning.

Keep these skincare tips in mind for fun in the sun, and, whether or not you or a loved one is battling a serious illness like cancer right now, please promise me you’ll never lose hope.