Beading for a Cure

I always have a few second thoughts after I post a thread grousing about someone or something that I have generally had a good relationship with over time. But I still feel the way I do about Group Health's moves in the shark infested waters of health care, so I will attempt to adjust my karma by turning to a much more delightful and inspiring topic.

And that is Beading for a Cure. This charity, which donates the proceeds of each annual auction to the National Colorectal Cancer Research Association (NCCRA), was founded in honor of a woman and beader, Layne Shilling, who lost her battle with colorectal cancer in November 2002. Since that year, every March, items of great beauty created by beaders for Beading for a Cure are auctioned off on Ebay and the proceeds minus administrative costs are donated to the NCCRA.

Every year, each beader is given the same packet of beads and using this as a base (they can add more beads to make their creation as long as they are the same as those they've been given, with the latitude to add one additional bead style), they come up with some of the loveliest jewelry and other delicate items I've seen. Here's the packet the beaders were given to start with this year:




Five prizes are awarded and it appears that there are more than 65 entries for 2010.

I hope you will take the time to click on the title of this post, which will take you to the home page of Beading for a Cure, or click here to see the 2010 gallery, and then count your pennies and consider bidding on one or more of these exquisite articles when they go up for sale on Ebay in March. The necklace I displayed above is one of the entries and it was created by a friend of mine, Nancy, an attorney in Alaska. I've gone on beading expeditions with her when she has been in Seattle for travel, and it has been great fun. Her work is absolutely first rate.

Thank you.