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Fundraiser Sounds Like A Wild Idea

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By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2007

LUTZ - Cheetahs, wildebeests, kissing hippos and a herd of zebras will do their part to raise money for breast cancer research today.

Owners of The Wildlife Gallery are opening their doors for three hours for a benefit reception from 6 to 9 p.m. The fundraiser will help send a team of eight local women to a three-day cancer walk this month.

The gallery, off U.S. 41 and south of Sunset Lane, has five rooms filled with images of exotic wildlife in their natural habitat taken by wildlife photographer Stuart Marcus.

Twenty-five percent of sales from his photos will benefit Karla Solomon's team in the upcoming Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day, a 60-mile walk in Tampa Bay from Oct. 19-21.

Marcus' wife, Jeannette, organized the fundraiser after learning about Solomon and her team through a mutual friend.

Jeanette Marcus said she wanted to host a charity event for breast cancer research after seeing many close friends go through breast cancer treatments.

The annual mammogram visits are the scariest time of year, Marcus said. A recent breast biopsy surgery took a psychological toll.

'When you wake up, you really don't know what you have left or where, and it's a big emotional thing for females,' she said. 'They can't go through the stress every year.'
Breast cancer is the second cause of cancer death in women, behind lung cancer. And one in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society's 2007 statistics.

Solomon, a registered nurse at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, is walking in her second walk. Her team is made up of women from Carrollwood, Town 'N Country and Lutz. Each team member has pledged to raise at least $2,200.

Solomon, a mother of five from Carrollwood, said she got a late start training this year but has set a personal goal of $4,500. The walk is not only raising money for breast cancer research but also to find a cure for other cancers, too.

'I see what it does to families,' said Solomon, who works at Moffitt's special care unit. 'I saw their fight, their struggle, and it just hit me there's so much struggle to it.'

Solomon's team members met accidentally. The women bumped into one another while training on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and decided to form a team.

'We all kind of bonded and all started walking together,' she said. 'What I found is that it's such a common bond, and people are so friendly. You're all working to find a cure for breast cancer.'

The photo exhibit reception is one of the team's largest fundraisers. They also have held bake sales, sold bracelets and car magnets, and asked family and friends to contribute.

The current exhibit, 'Through My Eyes,' features 125 photographs of East African wildlife. Among the images are cheetahs running in the wild and a herd of zebras gathering in the water at sunrise.

The photos were taken during Marcus' trip in September 2006 through Tanzania and Kenya, where he shot more than 8,500 photographs.

The gallery includes photos from trips to six other continents and shows animals such as the Nile crocodile in East Africa, wallabies in Australia, penguins in Antarctica, and Blue-footed Boobies in the Galapagos Islands.

Organizers are charging $5 for admission. Money raised from the entry fee will be donated to the Lee National Denim Day, a charitable campaign to raise money for breast cancer research.

The event also will have a silent auction offering works by ceramic artist Pam Moody and images by other photographers. Catering service Before & After will donate a portion of sales from a bake sale and holiday orders to Solomon's team.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Gallery reception to benefit breast cancer research
WHEN: 6 to 9 p.m. today

WHERE: The Wildlife Gallery, 203 Flagship Drive, Lutz

COST: $5 per person

Reporter Elizabeth Lee Brown can be reached at (813) 865-1502 or ebrown@tampatrib.com.

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