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Recipient of PanCans 2005 Shining Star award | ||
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Foundation History
Sharon Roberts was a vibrant woman who like most women today was busy. She was a professional woman in the banking industry in Riverside, California and highly respected among her colleagues. She was a mother and soon-to-be grandmother. She was active in community groups. Then her life came apart.
Sharon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a very short time to live. Hope was in short supply when doctors gave her this grim prognosis, but Sharon remained hopeful. She spent many hours while in bed crafting what she called “anti-cancer” bracelets made of pink crystal beads. She gave them to whomever she came in contact with - and hundreds of people began to wear them. They became a symbol of hope. Soon everyone wanted a Sharon Roberts pink crystal bracelet.
Sadly, within six months of being diagnosed, Sharon died. She was 47 years old. The people who loved her wanted to do something to honor her memory. Two of her close friends, Linda Schneider and Debby Blackmon, launched the Sharon Roberts Cancer Foundation as a way to channel their grief and to continue creating Sharon’s symbols of hope - pink crystal “anti-cancer” bracelets. They were determined to make a difference with their efforts.
Debby said, “After seeing what happened to Sharon, we knew we had to do something. There’s so little research on pancreatic cancer because of the low recovery rate.” Linda agreed and said, “Doing this makes me feel like she’s still a part of my life and I want to hang on to her.” The two women formed a board with six more of Sharon’s friends and launched beading parties, much like old-fashioned quilting bees, where friends and family gathered together to string out Sharon’s message of hope.
Over the past three years, the Foundation has sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of bracelets, mostly through word-of-mouth. The bracelets are being made by friends, family, cancer groups and cancer patients themselves and are sold at charity events, cancer awareness fundraisers and via our website. Monies raised fund cancer awareness, prevention and detection.
