FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Hannah Vogler
(501)666-1990
(501)425-2626
hannahvogler@colondar.com



COLORECTAL CANCER SURVIVOR EDUCATES
OTHERS IN UNCONVENTIONAL WAY: LINDA SAVAGE IS
MISS APRIL IN 2005 COLONDAR

Linda Savage was 49 years old when she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer – and was still considered “too young” for this disease. Though her cancer was initially considered inoperable, Linda has since had two major surgeries and a total of 24 months of chemotherapy. She continues to battle cancer and at the same time is going to extraordinary lengths to educate others.

She is featured as Miss April in the 2005 Colondar – a 12-month wall calendar of beautiful young female colorectal cancer survivors. Each month of the 2005 Colondar features a young woman along with a short biography chronicling her individual experience with colorectal cancer.

The 2005 Colondar is the newest project of The Colon Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating about colorectal cancer in out-of-the-box ways. Linda met Molly McMaster, co-founder of The Colon Club, through her son-in-law, who is Molly’s best friend from high school. “Molly knew that I had been diagnosed, and one day she asked me to model for the Colondar,” said Linda. “Most people who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer have no noticeable symptoms. This was true for me, and I decided to model for the Colondar.

In July of this year, Linda met eleven other young survivors when they came together in upstate New York for the 2005 Colondar photo shoot. “It was great to see everyone pulling together to make this happen,” said Linda. “We all decided to model because we believe that the Colondar is going to save lives. Now we just have to get them into as many hands as we possibly can.”

When asked to choose a theme for her photo, Linda immediately chose country-western dance. She credits the upbeat nature of the activity and the friendly supportive members of her dance community for her success in coping with her cancer experience. “I always knew that getting out on the dance floor among friends would put a smile on my face, and that’s some of the best medicine there is.” She now hopes that through networking and support groups she can help others with cancer find ways to feel connected and have fun.

Linda lives in Medway, MA and has two grown children. She graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in anthropology and had a career in the travel industry. She was “starting over” in graduate school for library and information science when she was diagnosed. An avid dancer, she also enjoys reading, nature, skiing, and travel.



The price of 2005 Colondar is $15.00. Visit www.colondar.com to order your very own 2005 Colondar!