The weather was absolutely perfect as more than 100 golfers recently teed up at the Dell Urich Golf Course for the Jacobs Tucson Open. The Jacobs Engineering Employee Club wanted to sponsor a golf tournament with all proceeds benefitting a local cancer non-profit organization. We were thrilled when we got the call that they selected BAG IT!

Next, Jacobs organizer extraordinaire, Marcos Gomez, and his dedicated team of Jacobs volunteers went to work enlisting Jacobs employees, vendors, clients, and friends to play, sponsor the event, and donate raffle prizes. They orchestrated the tournament beautifully and proudly handed BAG IT a check for $6992.80, which will help to provide BAG IT bags for approximately 225 people newly diagnosed with cancer, and their families.

KUDOS to Marcos, Bernie, Marisol, Kelly, and the entire gang at JACOBS ENGINEERING for your support of BAG IT!

BAG IT’s commitment to patient education has expanded its outreach around the country. Thanks to the generous funding and in-kind support of Eisai, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. and Miraval, BAG IT held its 2nd annual national leadership conference for cancer advocates, ESCAPE, last August.

Through an application process, we carefully selected 32 community cancer advocates leading cancer-related projects, programs, and organizations around the country. In August we brought them to Tucson for four days to network, and to work with our speakers and facilitators to gain insight, tools, and skills to sustain and grow their cancer advocacy efforts in their local communities. They also had a chance to renew themselves and learn techniques to prevent burnout through the integration and balance of mind, body and spirit at Miraval to enable them to continue their difficult work of cancer advocacy.

Through this national conference, BAG IT now supports potentially thousands of cancer survivors across the country to continue to receive improved services and support through the passionate advocates who attended ESCAPE. Overall feedback was extremely positive, and the participants’ comments tell it all:

Hey Tucson! Your generous coin canister donations at your local eegee’s in August totaled $1231.95 – all of which will be used to provide BAG IT bags to people newly diagnosed with cancer right here in Tucson.

Our thanks to eegee’s and the Tucson community for your support!

We are thrilled to announce that Welcome Wagon Tucson Northeast Club members selected BAG IT for their 2012-2013 Service Project. Since 1979, the social and charitable organization has been open to new and longtime residents of Tucson. Members support the Welcome Wagon Service Project by participating in the December and March raffles, and by making personal donations of goods and money at the Welcome Wagon monthly luncheons. Through December 15, Entertainment Books are for sale at $35 each. Please contact Doris Russell at sweetda@cox.net to place your order.

For more information about Welcome Wagon Tucson Northeast, and how to support the BAG IT service project, visit www.WelcomeWagonTucson.com.

BAG IT has a paid part-time position available for an Event & Volunteer Coordinator. Perfect for the right Tucsonan with some experience in this area looking for a part-time, primarily home-based position with flexible hours. Contact Sherri (520) 575-9602, sherri@bagit4u.org for more information.

We will be conducting a pilot study to test format preferences for BAG IT – publications on a CD to be read on a computer or the current print version? Does your office want to participate in the study or do you want to share your opinion about the idea? Email: joyce@bagit4u.org