A wine celebration
June Casagrande
Some might have chosen to mourn, but Cindy Thomsen chose to
celebrate. One year after a double mastectomy altered her body but
saved her life, the Costa Mesa advertising executive decided it was
time to kick up her heels and to help a worthy cause at the same
time.
“I’m all about the party, so I thought, ‘My gosh, let’s have a big
party,’” she said.” I asked myself. What am I really passionate
about? Golf and wine.”
From this simple beginning, Thomsen founded the Reds, Whites and
Greens Charity Golf Classic to raise money for the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation’s Orange County affiliate.
More than 100 golfers took part in the July 10 tournament at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente, where wine-tasting booths were set
up for players at every third hole. The event raised more than
$30,000 for the Komen Foundation and was such a success that Thomsen
decided to make it an annual event.
“It was a great time. We’re already planning next year.”
Thomsen, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 33 and again
at 38, is just one of the many success stories that are part of the
12th annual Komen Orange County Race for the Cure.
The race is one of a series of Race for the Cure events taking
place nationwide this weekend.
This year’s Orange County event takes place Sunday at Fashion
Island. Seventy-five percent of the race proceeds will go to local
outreach, education, screening and treatment programs for breast
cancer. The remaining 25% goes to the national Komen Foundation Award
and Research Grant Program to help fund breast-cancer research.
“For me, obviously, Komen is near and dear to my heart because of
my disease and the challenges I’ve been through,” said Thomsen, now
39 and cancer free. “I feel very, very fortunate to have been given a
third chance, and I think it’s cause to celebrate.”
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