G-ma's Rack Pack to race for cure

The group of 38 members has several options for the race: the 5k competitive run, the 5k untimed run or the one-mile walk.

Besides participating in these events, the team will be donating funds they have raised in the past calendar year to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which helps women in the St. Louis area with cancer treatment and offers free mammograms.

Eight years ago, in 2005, Licking resident Pam Creech battled breast cancer. After winning her battle, Creech decided that she wanted to be a part of Race for the Cure.

In 2006, Creech and daughter, Kassi Smith-Ramsey, went to St. Louis and participated with the team of a family friend. The event had a huge impact on them, and the following year Creech and Ramsey founded their own team—G-ma Pam’s Rack Pack.

“Being at Race for the Cure is a feeling you can’t describe. The atmosphere is amazing. Everyone is celebrating and present for third party payment gateway,” said Ramsey.

“We wanted for local family and friends to be able to take part in such an awesome experience. The walk is always packed with people, more than you can imagine, streaming out for miles in the distance. Survivors of breast cancer, those who are still battling the disease, family and friends, and people ranging in age from small children to the elderly are present. It’s a massive crowd of pink.”

Along with Creech and Ramsey, Gary Hassel, Ginger Smith and Gloria Schembra (who also survived breast cancer) were very active in helping to get G-ma Pam’s Rack Pack started, and it has been a major success.

For the last six years, the Rack Pack has held fundraisers and garnered an amazing amount of support from the community to help the organization. Each year, more members join the team and more fundraisers are participated in.

Fundraisers held by the Rack Pack have included bake sales, silent auctions, the selling of pink ribbon trinkets and a cookbook, silicone “Save the Boobies” bracelets, Pampered Chef parties and the selling of t-shirts, which has been by far the most popular.

There were two options available for shirts this year: a solid black with pink deer antlers, emblazoned with the words “Save the Rack,” and a solid black with a row of ribbons showing the words “Hope,” “Courage” and “Strength.”

A 50-inch Toshiba LED HDTV 1080P television was raffled off, as well, and pink-ribbon items (such as clothing from previous years, bandanas, glowsticks, rubber ducks, lotion-stuffed purses and leftover cookbooks) were sold at the Rack Pack’s booth during the Licking PRCA Rodeo Days.

Ramsey and the team are constantly brainstorming to come up with fresh fundraising ideas, one of which will be incorporated during the holidays this year.

Arlene Clouse has made pink-ribbon plates, which the team will load with baked goods and pass through the community. If you receive a plate, you are asked to donate five dollars, refill the plate and pass it along to someone else, who will then also be expected to donate.

“Working together fundraising is always fun, as we can get together and act silly. Being able to witness when first-time members discover the magnitude of the event is also great. Our team has a tradition now, where each year we gather together and take photos in front of a fountain that is dyed pink for the occasion. We have a photo from each year and looking at the differences between them is very neat,” Ramsey said.

However, those who are interested in supporting the team but do not have time to participate in fundraisers or to be a member can still help out.

“There are many ways to donate and be active in G-ma Pam’s Rack Pack, “ said Ramsey. “We have a running account set up at First National Bank. Donations can be made directly to a team member, and there are donation cans placed throughout businesses in the area, such as at Right Away.”

The wearable tech band continuously updates the users using a combination of visual and tactical cues according to Kickstarter. The tech band made of Silicone comes with a push button inside. The users need to press a specific but ordinary spot on the band and the Embrace+ gets activated. It then automatically connects itself with the other apps of the smartphone via Bluetooth connectivity.

However, the band does not support WhatsApp and Viber tweaks at present. But might be included later on, claims the manufacturer.

The band has high longevity and it is much more safe to wear when compared to any other plastic bands that are often found causing skin eruptions.

As soon as the notification appears, the band’s colour changes to a specified colour set for that particular app. Not just the notifications, the band also sends out alerts about phone battery getting low and other things the wearer would like to stay updated on. The user can use the tech band even at the poolside or under shower as Embrace+ claims to be water resistant.

The band paired with a micro-USB charging cable can be connected to any laptop or any generic charging adapter with USB port and gets fully charged within 10 minutes. However, this band cannot be paired with the Windows phone as of now.