by Rachel Hunter
The sea of pink returned to Gouverneur on October 2, 2021 as hundreds gathered to support the work of the Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund during the 20th Annual Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund Walk. The Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund Committee this week announced that more than $190,000 was raised at this milestone walk.
Over $2 million has been raised to support local cancer patients in the Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk’s 20-year history. The Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund is a 501(c)3 serving the needs of men and women living in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis and Franklin Counties of New York. The mission is to provide financial assistance to patients facing breast or ovarian cancer as well as a cancer that has metastasized from said cancers. One hundred percent of the donations received go directly to assist the patients with medical and prescription co-pays, rent, mortgage, utilities, car payments, insurances and many other needs as needed by the patient. Just as each patient is different, so are their needs. It is the goal of the Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund to work to provide at least some financial relief allowing the patient to focus on healing and recovery.
Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund Committee Member Terry Pistolesi of Gouverneur said the following during the opening ceremony: “It is fantastic to see everyone here… all the pink is beautiful, and we are so excited to see you… As you know, 20 years ago, we started this breast cancer walk. Four of the women who started the breast cancer walk are here with us – Marilyn LaPierre, Carolyn Pistolesi, Mona Allen, and Judy Bush. Without you, this would not be possible. In 2001, this walk was started. The first year, one patient applied and was helped. The second year, eight patients. To date, we have assisted over 911 patients. Our original mission was to assist men and women in the greater Gouverneur area suffering with breast cancer. Now our mission is to assist men and women with breast cancer, women with ovarian cancer, and men and women who have had a cancer metastasized from breast or ovarian cancer who live in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis and Franklin counties – much larger than the greater Gouverneur area. The original plan in 2001 was to have anywhere between 200 and 300 come out to walk. I definitely feel like today we are well beyond 200 to 300 people, so thank you. Then we started with recovery gift bags to hand out to our patients, and now we have assisted over 3,000 patients with recovery gift bags. Then our goal was to raise $10,000 the first year and actually raised $19,000. The original goal this year was $140,000… With our previous donations received already this year, we are at over $190,000. We are beyond grateful for every donation, every sponsor and every walker. And most importantly, we are grateful that the survivors allow us into their lives to assist them – to cry with them, to laugh with them, and to just be there as they go through their journey. Their journeys may be troublesome at times, but they are also beautiful. We all learn things about ourself as we grow in life, and one thing I have found from every survivor that I have the privilege to know is they find an inner strength that they never knew they had. When they find that and share it with the next person, beautiful things happen. Thank you so much.”
Next up to the microphone was St. Lawrence Health’s Family Practitioner Payam Hadian, MD – who practices at Gouverneur Hospital through the Canton-Potsdam Specialty Practice, 77 West Barney St., Gouverneur. He addressed the crowd gathered of the importance of early detection, cancer prevention and screening.
“I am humbled to be here. This is my first time here, and I am absolutely blown away by the turnout,” Dr. Hadian said. “When I was asked to address the crowd about mammogram screening, this was very personal to me. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. She was diagnosed in 2009 with Stage IV Breast Cancer. For those who don’t know, Stage IV Breast Cancer is breast cancer that has spread to the rest of the body. At the time of her diagnosis, her breast cancer had spread to her bones, her lungs, and to her brain. My family and I were absolutely devastated because my grandmother had never been sick a day in her life. She was always dancing, singing, and chasing us around when we were kids. She would always joke with me, saying that she couldn’t wait for me to get married and have kids so that she could chase my kids around too. After five years of chemotherapy and radiation, my grandmother passed away. I had just finished medical school when I attended her funeral. What I learned in medical school was that the two most important things in medicine are prevention, and when prevention fails, early detection. One in eight women at some point in their lives will be diagnosed with breast cancer. It is important that you talk to family, especially the ones who have always been healthy, to set up a breast cancer screening strategy with your doctor – a primary care doctor or an OBGYN – because it saves lives. Early detection saves lives. And I am so humbled to be here and to share my story with you. I walk in remembrance of my grandmother, and I walk for everyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I am in absolute awe of your strength and courage.”
For the fourth year, Makenzie Piatt, WWNY-TV 7 Morning News Anchor, served as the emcee of the event.
The guest speaker was American Country Music Singer-Songwriter and Philanthropist Jimmy Charles. He’s made a national name for himself with compelling original material and toured the country opening for Lady A, Montgomery Gentry, Kip Moore, Travis Tritt, Josh Turner, Merle Haggard and more. The Ocean City, Maryland native headed to Nashville to pursue his music after graduating from Towson University. “I tried out for Nashville Star along with 40,000 other people and made it to the Top 50,” he notes. “Even though I didn’t win, that gave me the confidence to believe that I really could do this.” Jimmy would go on to earn a unanimous vote ticket to “Hollywood” as a Season 9 American Idol contestant – and prove once again that he has the talent to make it as an entertainer with the power to impact countless lives. Jimmy spent many years paying his dues playing up to 12 shows a week in the Honky Tonks of Nashville and touring the country playing bars, festivals and other venues for little money.
While the singer/songwriter found early success in 2014 with his first single, “Whatever It Takes,” picked up nationwide by iHeart radio, it’s the power of “Superman” that solidified his place in the spotlight. Written for ZERO the End of Prostate Cancer to promote awareness with bandmate Goose Gossett and cancer survivor/mentor Phil Shulka, the song’s companion video premiered on CMT, trending in the #1 spot for over a week, with over 5,000 shares its first day on the site. The clip also aired on GAC, ZUUS (now known as The Country Network) and Heartland, instantly putting Jimmy front and center before hundreds of thousands of fans.
Jimmy’s next release, “Bout Summertime” showcased his more adventurous and carefree side and landed him on the MusicRow Chart. Jimmy made the music video in the US Virgin Islands while headlining a 5000+ Chili cookoff festival on Brewers Bay beach and touring the Island with his full band. “Its the most fun I've ever had in my life” say Charles. The video still plays in the Honky Tonks of Nashville and various bars that show music videos across the world including Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville three years later.
Jimmy’s music video release for "Hard Way to Go” premiered with CMT and climbed to #1 on The Country Network! The video was paired with an outreach program with National partners American Addiction Centers, Vertava Health and other addiction awareness non-profits to help reach those battling addiction. To date the effort has helped over 60 people commit to the road to recovery and get the treatment they need.
A national spokesman for ZERO the End of Prostate Cancer since 2014, Jimmy was named Outstanding Young Tennessean (2017) for his work against the disease and his many other philanthropic gestures. He then went on to win the National, Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) honor in 2019. An accolade given to former Presidents, Scientists, Military Heroes and Elvis himself. Jimmy’s successes continue today, recently winning Nashville Industry Music Awards “Male Country Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” for “Never Had a Bad Day”. With exciting plans ahead Jimmy Charles is an artist to watch for more big performances and accomplishments.
Jimmy Charles formed his own non-profit, #IAMNOTALONE, which focuses on the strength and well-being of all cancer survivors making sure they never feel alone. The non-profit got its start in March of 2019 after Jimmy Charles fulfilled the wish of Gouverneur’s own Mark Smith, who was battling Stage IV prostate cancer. In a letter to Jimmy Charles, Mark’s daughter, Jacey Lynn (Smith) LeConey, said that her father had lost hope. He didn’t want to continue some of his treatments and had given up. She also told Charles that seeing him perform live was on her dad’s Bucket List because his song, “Superman,” meant so much to him. Zero had asked Charles to write a song to raise awareness and encourage men to get prostate exams and the end product was “Superman.” Jimmy Charles made the trip to Gouverneur on one condition – that Smith would sign a contract, promising that he would never give up the fight.
Charles put on a private concert for Smith, his family and friends at the Casablanca Restaurant in Gouverneur to “rekindle the love, support and strength.” During the event, Charles presented Smith with a contract written on a piece of cardboard. Smith and Charles both signed it then read it over the microphone. It read, “I, Mark A. Smith, promise to never, ever give up the fight!” There was not a dry eye in the place.
Only a few months later, Jimmy Charles founded #IAMNOTALONE. He knew something special had happened in Gouverneur, NY, and wanted to be able to help to encourage others not to give up the fight in their battles against cancer. “I’ve learned so much from these survivors and I want to continue to help them anyway that I can,” Charles said. “Their stories break my heart, but our journey together makes me whole.”
In an interview with the Gouverneur Tribune Press, Jimmy Charles said the following: “It feels amazing to be back. A place I never knew existed three years ago now has a special place in my heart with the people here and the amazing thing that transpired with the community coming together to uplift a survivor. Now, the ripple effect continues. It’s packed, despite the rain, and I am just glad to be part of the 20th Annual Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk. I can’t wait to sing my songs. One of them was inspired by that moment with Mark Smith when we all came together to lift him up at a tough time. I ended up writing a song called “I Am Not Alone,” and started my own nonprofit called, “I Am Not Alone,” making sure survivors never feel that way… never feel that they are alone. The very first I Am Not Alone contract was signed right here in Gouverneur. We have a stack of the new contracts that are being signed by people all across the country, the ripple-effect of Gouverneur, NY. We are going to be signing some here today. People are going to be reading them aloud. We are going to empower, bring some love, hope and strength here today – where a lot of this all began… I travel all across the country and do survivor ceremony as the spokesman for ZERO: The End of Prostate Cancer and a lot of other cancer events, and charity events. I am so glad to be here, and it is definitely a special place in my heart.”
Jimmy Charles sang the national anthem during the opening ceremony at the 20th Annual Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk. He also sang his song, “I Am Not Alone.” He called upon Cancer Survivor Helen Woods of Gouverneur who read aloud and signed her I Am Not Alone contract, and declared too that she would never, ever give up the fight. The crowd packed in the Gouverneur Village Park exploded in uproarious applause. She then called upon Cancer Survivor Jenna Peck of Gouverneur who signed her I Am Not Alone Contract in a special moment at the end of the walk at the Riverview Recreational Park in Gouverneur. Much applause sounded at each announcement. Jimmy Charles said he brought a stack of 200 contracts to the 20th Annual Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk for anyone who wanted to join the movement.
At about 10:30 a.m., the sea of pink started the one-mile walk down Main Street, Gouverneur, escorted by the Gouverneur Police Department, Gouverneur Fire Department, and the New York State Police. Jimmy Charles waved as he rode in Gouverneur Fire Department’s Rescue 4 truck with his family to the Riverview Recreational Park. The crowd turned down Johnstown St., and turned right into Mills Park and then crossed the bridge to Riverview Recreational Park for a time of food, fellowship, raffle prizes and more.
In a special moment, Jimmy Charles had the opportunity to sing his hit, “We Are Warriors” to the crowd of cancer survivors gathered at the 20th Annual Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk. Tears filled the eyes of many as the cancer survivors began to join in the anthem. The Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund also presented the cancer survivors in attendance with a pink carnation.
All those in attendance had the opportunity to purchase merchandise from Jimmy Charles, who also made time for autographs and photo opportunities at the 2021 Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk. Jimmy Charles’ travel arrangements was made possible due to a generous business sponsorship. He arrived in the North Country on Thursday, September 30, and Mark Smith of Gouverneur and his family showed him around the Thousand Islands and beyond. On Friday, October 1, Jimmy Charles sang and addressed the crowd at the Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund’s dinner on the eve of the walk. Much gratitude is extended to all who made his appearance in the North Country possible. Mr. Charles said he looks forward to returning to Gouverneur, NY in the future.
Raffles and top contribution results from the 2021 Gouverneur Breast Cancer Walk will be published once they are made available to the Gouverneur Tribune Press. For more information on the Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund, visit www.gouverneurbreastcancerfund.com