It isn’t often that I get to post about my travels, but last week I was in the Windy City for what we’ve been calling around the office Chicagopalooza. A perfect storm of scheduling allowed me to spend time focusing on four different areas that are integral to what we do every day at Cancer and Careers. Here’s a glimpse at five days in the life of this Chicago visitor:
Wednesday and Thursday: After a morning flight from New York, I spent a day and a half at the Cause Marketing Forum Conference. Cause marketing is so important to CAC: we’re lucky to partner with a number of beauty companies that give us a portion of their proceeds every October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month as part of their campaigns.
Friday: I got to see one of CAC’s critical programs in action! Rebecca, VP of Programs & Strategy, partnered with the incredible Triage Cancer to lead an in-service training at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. They spent the morning in a spirited session with oncology nurses and social workers, equipping them with answers to the issues surrounding cancer and employment that their patients face.
Saturday: Now in its 20th year, SELF magazine’s Workout in the Park brings fitness classes to parks in three American cities each Spring. SELF is a tireless supporter of CAC, and every year, we are lucky to be a charity partner of Workout in the Park, where we spread the word about CAC to thousands of participants. After an energizing day in Grant Park, I got the opportunity do an “only in Chicago” thing: take a walk through the middle of a 66 foot tall stainless steel sculpture known locally as The Bean!
Sunday: My final day took me to one of the largest oncology gatherings in the world—the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, which brings together over 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world to learn about breakthroughs and discover best practices. As a new staff member at CAC, I welcomed the opportunity to meet other members of our community.
And now that I’m back in New York, I’m looking forward to applying all the lessons I learned to a renewed spirit of partnership and community with everyone who supports Cancer and Careers.
Can’t wait for Chicagopalooza 2014!