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.”