Help Curves Help the American Cancer Society Relay for Life

NEWS RELEASE
March 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Robin Brandenburg, manager/owner of Curves in Corbin
Office: 606-528-5200
Fax: 606-528-5215

CORBIN, Ky – The local Curves has committed to raising $3,000 for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life (ACSRL) but needs the help of the community. By getting involved and donating a used purse, Corbin can raise money for local cancer research and victims.

“For many, the cure doesn’t come quick enough, but raising money for research and the cause is one way to help,” Corbin Curves manager and owner Robin Brandenburg said.

According the ACSRL website, one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. The ACSRL is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people across the country each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes the lives of many.

Throughout the year Curves has been raising money through fundraisers such as yard sales, selling Pampered Chef products, candles and silent auctions. Curves is currently collecting “gently used" purses which are in good condition to be auctioned off silently at the end of May. Last year Curves' goal was to raise $2,500. They made over half of that during their purse auction and raised $6,000 total.

“Last year we had a lot of stylish purses donated including name brands such as Coach and Gucci. They looked brand new,” said Brandenburg.

After the silent auction, any purses that are not bought will be priced and sold during a yard sale in front of Curves at the end of May.

“My teenage daughter buys a new purse every season. She recently climbed to the bottom of her closet to retrieve six nice purses she no longer uses. They may not be new to her but they’ll be new to someone else; and the money goes towards the cause. Everyone leaves happy,” said Curves employee and team member Mari Worley.

Brandenburg believes that the women at Curves, who have bonded while exercising together, are really working as a group for a cause they all feel strongly about. There are multiple Curves members who are cancer survivors.

“I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by cancer in some way whether it be themselves, a family member or friend. We want everyone to somehow get involved in the relay for life,” Brandenburg said.

You do not have to be a member of Curves to join their sponsorship team to raise money and walk in the relay. Each of the team members is expected to raise $100. To donate a purse, or join the team please call (606) 528-5200 or visit Curves at 103 Greer Ln in Corbin. The office is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Luminaries are also being sold for $1 at Curves. Luminaries can be bought for a lost life, cancer survivors or current cancer victims. The luminaries can be personally decorated and will light up the Relay for Life ceremony as they glisten around the track..

The ACSRL will be held on June 5 at Lynn Camp High School. The opening ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. The first lap will be walked by cancer survivors. Throughout the night, team members of different sponsors will walk the track.

“Our goal is to have someone from Curves on the track at all times,” said Brandenburg.

The relay is held from dusk till dawn to represent the different stages of cancer; each hour of the night will represent a stage of the cancer as it forms and takes over the body.

Curves will be raffling off a pink and white breast cancer afghan during the night. Other activities such as games and food will also be set up during the night as fundraisers. All proceeds will go towards the cause.

Curves is just one of the many sponsors who have volunteered in Corbin to raise money for this cause. Curves is competing to raise money with other sponsors including Baptist Regional Medical Center and CSX.

“The competition aspect of the fundraising helps to raise the most amount of money for the cause, but the bottom line is that all the money will go to the local cancer society,” said Worley.
Curves is a woman’s fitness center that provides a total body workout in 30 minutes. With both aerobic exercise for weight loss and strength training for toned muscles, a Curves workout provides an exercise plan that can burn up to 500 calories in just 30 minutes. Curves clubs also offer a nutrition program and diet solution that provides permanent results without permanent dieting. Curves is the largest fitness and health club franchise in the world dedicated to providing affordable, one-stop exercise and nutritional information for women.
####

"Mamma Mia," I CAN Resist You

Unlike popular musicals such as “Hairspray” and “Chicago,” which were a hit on the big screen and onstage, “Mama Mia!” should have stayed in its original form, only to be seen on Broadway. “Mama Mia!” first appeared on the stage in 1999 in London. The ABBA-based soundtrack shapes the whole movie. Therefore the plot is quite ridiculous and scattered because the members of the hit 1970s Swedish pop group didn’t intend for their songs to be put together to create a story line. The music is infectious but not enough to make me want to watch it again when I can just listen to the soundtrack.

Leading lady, Meryl Streep almost saves this movie; almost. Streep plays Donna, a mother who runs an old hotel on a Greek island with her daughter, Sophie. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is 20-years-old and about to get married. Sophie doesn’t know her father and without her mother’s knowledge, has mailed invites to the three men in Donna's past whom Sophie suspects of being her father after she reads Donna’s scandalous journal entries.

When the men arrive on the island (played by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård) they are all still interested in Donna, 20 years later, and have no idea that Sophie is searching for her father in one of them. Sophie thinks that by knowing her father, she will finally be able to get to know herself. Sophie spends time with each of the possible fathers while Donna tries to avoid them. After all, even Donna doesn’t know who the father is or that Sophie knows who these men could possibly be. Throughout the movie Donna struggles with letting her past go and also letting Sophie go.

To begin with what went wrong in this movie the director, Phyllida Lloy is not a movie director. “Mamma Mia!” is Lloyd’s first feature film and hopefully her last. She is a leading British theatre director who is praised for her work in opera. Lloyd included this style into “Mamma Mia” with short, dramatic scenes which were slightly overwhelming to watch because you didn’t have time to recover from one emotion to the other.

Mamma Mia!” is a mixture of a soap opera and an episode of “Hannah Montana.” Even though the movie is bad in many ways, it is still hard to hate. Okay, so “Mama Mia!” isn’t good movie material, but it is still entertaining. Like they lyrics in the songs, after you “see that girl,” Seyfried give an amateur performance and “watch that scene,” with Streep being overly dramatic while singing and dancing on a rooftop, you can help but laugh. It’s hilarious to see Oscar and Golden Globe winner, Streep step away from her usual sophisticated characters to knowingly making a fool of herself as she jumps on beds and slides down banisters. Seyfried was applauded for her role in “Mean Girls” as the ditsy sidekick named Karen; however, after her performance in “Mamma Mia!” I’m beginning to wondering if the blonde bimbo is the only character Seyfried can portray.

Seyfried must have been cast for her voice which at first seems to be tiny, but as the movie continues so does Seyfried’s vocal range and powerful lungs. On the other hand, Pierce Brosnan (who plays Sam, one of the three possible fathers) should never attempt to sing again. Brosnan whose known for his role as James Bond 007, has too much testosterone to be singing ABBA soundtracks. Steeps voice was surprisingly quite pleasant and she delivered her songs with much enthusiasm. Throughout the movie the chorus is catchy and the music has a good dancing beat. Some of the ABBA songs included on the soundtrack are “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” “Take A Chance On Me,” and “Super Trouper.”

The choreography throughout the movie is basically non-existent. Instead it looks like the director asked the actors to dance how the music made them feel. The outcome looks like three middle-aged women dancing drunk and then towards then end of the movie the audience sees what appears to be the men’s ballet in flippers on a dock; which is slightly amusing.

Anyone who enjoys melodramatic theatrical performances will enjoy this movie. Movie buffs, critics and audiences looking for the next Oscar nominations should not watch “Mamma Mia!” because it will be a waste of time; unless they can find humor in 1 hour and 48 minuets of bad choreography, some poor acting and an unrealistic plot.

A Life of Loyalty to the Flag

In 1997 Alvin Lewis came to the University of the Cumberlands with the American dream of becoming a star football player and the hope of one day becoming a lawyer. While in college and after, Lewis’s passion for his country fueled his remarkable career choices and helped him to surpass dreams of being a lawyer. Today he is a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“In God I trust to help me make decisions,” Lewis’s deep, authoritative voice pledged while talking about his career.

One of Lewis’s first life-altering decisions was to leave his large family in Titusville, Fla to attend UC in Williamsburg, Kentucky on a football scholarship. Lewis’s large frame covered in muscle was created for football. Lewis majored in communication and also studied psychology.
In addition to football Alvin became a member of the National Guard which had a unit in Williamsburg.

“I just felt the need to somehow be a part of protecting out country,” Lewis said.

According to the National Guard homepage the National Guard is part of the United States Army, comprising approximately one half of its available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. Traditionally, most National Guard personnel serve one weekend a month, two weeks a year.

“I chose the National Guard because it worked so well with my school schedule,” Lewis explained.

Lewis was introduced to Dr. Mike Colegrove, a retired Army colonel and the Vice President of Student Service at UC.

“Alvin was a little rambunctious, but I liked him. He had spirit,” Colegrove said.

Colegrove informed Lewis of the benefits of Simultaneous Membership Program. The program offers assistance to those who are enrolment in both a reserve component and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

“It was a hard decision; I didn’t have the time to play football and be involved with ROTC. I chose my country,” Lewis stated proudly.

After playing football for two years Lewis made the sacrifice and joined the ROTC. Lewis took a semester off in the fall of 1999 to attend basic training for the National Guard.

Lewis returned to UC for the spring semester in 2000. During basic training Lewis had almost no contact with the opposite sex.

“I liked to flirt and thought I was a lady’s man,” Lewis said with a chuckle.

Back at Cumberland, Lewis broke a school rule, no women in the dorms after hours. Lewis used his new skills acquired at basic training to sneak a girl into his dorm room; however, they got caught.

“Cumberland was pretty strict and I made a violation. They asked me to leave,” Lewis reasoned.

Lewis respected the school’s decision and went home for a semester; he took classes over the summer. He was allowed to return to Cumberland in the fall of 2000. For the next two years Lewis focused on his studies, ROTC, and the National Guard. Upon graduation in 2002 Lewis earned his commission and signed up for active duty to the Army. He was no longer a part of the National Guard.

“After college and my experiences with ROTC and the National Guard I was good at problem-solving, team-building, and quick decision-making. I had the self assurance of knowing I could push myself to the limit and beyond,” Lewis said.

As a college and ROTC graduate Lewis immediately served as a second lieutenant at Fort Stewart in Georgia. He was deployed to Iraq in 2005 for one year. Lewis was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, which is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service. It is also awarded for acts of heroism.

There was no one incident that resulted in Lewis being awarded the Bronze Star.

“My commander felt that on numerous occasions I showed qualities deserving of the star,” Lewis stated modestly and wouldn’t go into details.

Lewis was also awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded during combat. Lewis suffered from head, shoulder, and leg wounds when his platoon was hit by a roadside bomb, an explosive device placed at the side of a road and exploded when the target passes.

Lewis returned to the US in January and resigned from the Army in April, 2006.

During a job fair Lewis spoke with an FBI recruiter. The recruiter was enthusiastic about Lewis and encouraged him to apply. Not really intending to hear back, but still hopeful, Lewis applied.
Lewis’s life took a new turn when he became the regional sales manager in one of the divisions of Alcoa. According to their homepage Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary and fabricated aluminum.

“There was a void in my life. Throughout college and over the last few years I had been serving my country on a daily basis,” Lewis stated.

Lewis’s new job was missing something; something red, white and blue. He realized that the only way he would be happy was to be working for his country.

While still working for Alcoa, Lewis started studying for the LSAT.

“As an undergraduate I’d planned on attending law school, but it kept being placed on the back burner,” Lewis remembered.

Lewis passed the LSAT and began applying for law schools. During this time he was also taking the steps towards the FBI.

“It was crazy. One week I’d get a call from the FBI who wanted another interview or exam, the next week I’d hear from a law school who wanted more recommendations,” Lewis said.

For months Lewis continued the process toward both the FBI and law school.

“I wish I could have done both but I know I would have been happy with either one. Both have to do with law enforcement and criminal justice,” Lewis stated.

In April, 2006 Lewis was accepted to a law school in Florida which was close to his home and family.

“I was excited to go back home. I really missed my family over the years,” Lewis said with enthusiasm.

However two weeks later he got a call from the FBI who wanted him to become an agent. Lewis weighed his options and prayed for a few days. He was finally led by God to accept the position with the FBI as an agent.

“I really liked the mission statement of the FBI which is to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners” Lewis recited.

Lewis is currently a special agent with the terrorism unit and deals with criminal matters and investigation. He gets to travel across the country but also has desk work.

“As long as God permits I plan to stay with the FBI until I retire,” Lewis announced.

Lewis is also currently pursing a masters degree in intelligence and national security studies through online courses.

“I’ve always loved my country and so often we fail to recognize the good fortune we have here,” Lewis said.

The Inconvenient Plastic Bag

It’s not true, everybody isn’t doing it. I walk up and down the checkout lanes at Wal-Mart for over an hour to see if anyone would use a reusable bag instead of the plastic ones. Not a single person did. Even though it seems that everyone is talking about how “going green,” is the cool new thing to do, it’s still not as popular as it should be. I was surprised to see how many people still use plastic bags. Even to carry one little item out of the store, like a toothbrush, customers used a bag! I watched someone use a different bag for every single item she bought, which ended up being 26 bags.

Wal-Mart’s reusable bags only cost a $1. Not only are the much larger than a plastic bag, they are much more sturdy. I recently tested the Wal-Mart reusable bags by placing multiple items in the bag until in weight 30 pounds. I hung the bag up with the weight for 2 days. It’s still there and holding strong. A plastic bag wouldn’t have been so durable. We’ve all experienced a plastic bag failing us as and it’s usually a messy ordeal. Maybe that is why the woman in Wal-Mart used individual bags. A few reusable bags would have solved her problem.

You can’t use the excuse that you’ll always forget the reusable bag. I mean seriously, you don’t forget your wallet when you go to the store. Haha, okay so many once or twice but the majority of the time you don’t.

Place the reusable bags in your trunk and return them as soon as the groceries are unloaded. This way the bag is always handy, even when you’re going home after work and realize you need to make a quick stop at the store. If for some reason you don’t have your reusable bag, punish yourself. I’m sure that if you have to carry you groceries without any bags at all, you’ll remember your reusable bag next time.

Maybe you use your plastic bags in trash cans or other ways. Okay, well that’s fine because you are reusing the bag which is great. However that woman didn’t need 26 trash bags all at once. Until recently my parents wadded up every single plastic bag and placed them in a drawer. The drawer was packed and could barely open and shut. Whenever they needed a new bathroom trash bag they’d just get one out of the drawer, however the bags were multiplying more than they were being used. After a while they had no more space for bags and started a new drawer. I finally convinced them that they didn’t need that many bags unless they were planning on creating a plastic bag parachute. Now they use their reusable bag for most of their groceries and occasionally use a plastic bag when they start to run low in the drawer.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. The estimated cost spent on bags is $4 billion. If everyone bought a reusable bag (keep in mind it’s only a $1) and stopped using plastic bags, imagine how much money we could save! I think in our economic situation saving money is a prime concern to everyone. So next time you’re at the store, pick up your reusable bag usually found in the checkout isle. It’s time to get everyone involved in “going green.”

A Plastic Picnic

The weather is warming up and that means more outside activities such as picnics, baseball games, barbeques, the beach, Labor Day and the 4th of July. More beverages packaged in aluminum and plastic are sold during this time of year because of these types of event in which people need to be hydrated. Face it, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are much more convenient that carrying around a bowl of punch and cups. Even though I can only imagine that we just stop using plastics, I know that isn’t a practical request. If we must use plastic we need to make sure that we recycle these products. Recycling saves energy, natural resources and decreases pollution. Here are some quick tips for staying on top of recycling this summer:

Don’t Trash It — For your large gatherings this summer, be sure to bring an extra bag with you to collect bottles and cans. Place the bag next to your trash can and mark it so that people know you are recycling all those cans and bottles. Throw the bag in the back of your car and empty it at the recycling center on your way home.

Keep it Clean — Rinse bottles and cans before you put them in the bin. This helps prevent any unwanted bugs and odors during summertime heat! It also keeps the process of recycling sanitary for the people who sort and handle plastics at the recycling center.

Reduce Waste — Replace your large kitchen trash can with two smaller ones. Use one for trash and the other for recycling. This is a quick way to make sure you consistently recycle! Keep in mind that the recycle bin should be close to the actual trash can so that you see it. You’ll be surprised how much less goes into your actual trash can and how light your trash will be without all the plastic in it.

Set a date — By setting a date in which you visit your local recycling center every week you will keep your recycling bin organized and sanitary. No one wants to see overflowing plastic into the floor which only pollutes your house.

When in Doubt, Leave it Out! — If you don’t know if a material can be recycled, check your local recycling center or click here. You need to be positive your product can be recycled, or leave it out of the bin. Materials that can’t be recycled can actually harm the entire recycling process, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Spread the Word — Talk to your family and friends about recycling at home. Make a fun game for kids to collect recyclable products. Competition between neighbors or families to recycle the most can make recycling fun and gives insinuative to recycle; everyone wants to be a winner.

"There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use."
-Mother Teresa (1910-1997), A Gift for God, 1975

Recycling Activist

On a pier in California, British environmentalist David de Rothschild, author of Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook, is building a 60-foot catamaran made from recycled plastic. This boat will sail from San Francisco to Australia. According to CNN de Rothschild cleverly named the boat, “Plastiki.” Plastiki is being created in an effort to raise awareness of the recycling of plastic bottles, which he says are a symbol of global waste.

Thousands of two-liter soda bottles are being stripped of their labels, washed, filled with dry-ice powder and then resealed. The dry ice sublimates into carbon dioxide gas and pressurizes the bottle, making it rigid. Skin-like panels made from recycled PET, a woven plastic fabric, will cover the hulls and a watertight cabin, which sleeps four.

“This actually is the same material that is made out of bottles,” said de Rothschild to CNN. “We actually wrap the PET fabric over the PET foam and then basically put it under a vacuum, heat it, press it and create these long PET panels. So that means the boat is, technically, one giant bottle.”

Other parts of the boat include two wind turbines and solar panels to charge on-board laptop computers, a GPS and SAT phone. Only 10 percent of the boat is being created with new materials, including the masts.

“The idea is to take Plastiki, break it down [after the voyage], and put it back into the system. So, it may come out being a jacket, a bag, more bottles. It’s infinitely recyclable,” de Rothschild said to CNN.

Plastiki is set to sail from San Fransisco in April, with De Rothschild and a few others. They anticipate stops in Hawaii, Tuvalu, Fiji and then plan to arrive in Sydney. The voyage will take about 100 days.

This trip is going to be over 11,000 miles and dangerous. I’m mean seriously, it’s a boat made out of plastic bottles…how reliable can that be? Out of respect for de Rothschilds efforts at recycling awareness, we should all be making those extra few steps to place our bottles into the recycling bins.

Make Your Plastic Fantastic

Recycling materials uses far less energy than creating brand new ones. Recycled plastic is used to make many different types of products. According to MSNBC, by recycling only one plastic bottle, enough energy is saved to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours. Instead, many people choose to throw the bottle away. What a waste.

There is a bridge in New Baltimore, New York that was created from recycled plastic and is strong enough to hold cars. The bridge is 3o-feet long and contains 68,000 milk jugs that are mixed with fiberglass.

Coca-Cola began making and selling shirts made from recycled plastic. The shirts, called "Drink 2 Wear" apparel, are made from a blend of about half recycled polyethylene terephthalate, commonly marked as PET, and half cotton. Three to five plastic bottles are used to make each shirt, depending on the size. The shirts come with catchy phrases such as “Make Your Plastic Fantastic.”

The type of product that is made out of recycled plastic depends on the type of plastic.
HDPE or high density polyethylene, is very tough and is used to make rigid plastic containers such as milk jugs and beverage bottles. Once recycled it is made into pipes, pails, motor oil bottles and detergent containers.

LDPE or low density polyethylene, is used to make flexible plastics, such as garment bags, grocery and garbage bags, some lids and bottles, typewriter ribbon, squeezable bottles and toys. It is tough, yet flexible, and somewhat transparent. When recycled, it can be made into pallets or new trash bags.

PET or polyethylene tephthalate, is semi-rigid to rigid, depending on thickness. It makes a good barrier method, especially for use in soft drink bottles. PET is also used for flexible food packaging. When recycled, it is made into fiberfill, carpeting, and non-food containers.

A high-quality polyester fiber called Eco-Fi, or EcoSpun, was developed out of plastic bottles, and is used to make fabrics such as cotton, wool, and fleece. Clothing is now available that have been made from plastic. This type of plastic can also be used for home furnishings, blanket throws, and carpet.

As you can see, all kinds of fun things come out of recycled plastic. Throw your plastic in the recycle bin and that bottle you were sipping out of might become socks for a kid.