Sole-cial Butterflies Release Cookbook

Press release

The Sole-cial Butterflies have found another way to raise money for their annual Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure outings: A cookbook!

The Cooking for a Cure cookbook sells for $15 with all proceeds going to breast cancer research. Cookbooks are being sold at Coles, Expressions, Ship Shop, The Needle Niche, Come and Take It, and Chasing Rabbits as of now. They are also available by emailing [email protected].

The Sole-­cial Butterflies team was formed in February 2011 on a whim by two sisters, Janna Livingston and Rae Wilson. Janna saw an advertisement on television for the Dallas Susan G. Komen 3-­‐Day 60 Mile Walk for the Cure in November 2011 and contacted Rae to see if she would be interested in participating.

Rae’s niece on her husband’s side of the family was in the battle of her life with breast cancer at that time. Janna and Rae knew too many others that had gone through their own struggles with breast cancer and knew this was their chance to do something about finding a cure.

They wanted to honor their mother with their team name and came up with Sole-­‐cial Butterflies because she was very social (changing the spelling to a shoe sole for walking) and loved butterflies! They then embarked on a rigorous training schedule over the course of the year.

In the midst of this training they were busy fundraising as they were each required to raise $2,300 in order to participate. Neither was great at fundraising, but they knew the cause was far greater than their lack of fundraising skills.

The Dallas walk was more than either could have ever imagined. Sharing a 6 x 6 tent for two nights when the temperatures dipped into the 30’s was an experience, as well as using porta-­‐potties for three days, and portable showers sitting on 18-­wheeler trailers for those days, but the greatest experience of all was meeting all the wonderful people along the 60 mile route. So many stories of survival were shared along the way, as well as stories from those that had lost a loved one to the dreadful disease.

When Janna and Rae crossed the finish line, the sense of accomplishment was incredible, as was the closeness the sisters developed along the way. They truly did feel they had done something to make a difference because everyone deserves a lifetime free from cancer.

The following year, the sisters added Jennifer Livingston, Janna’s daughter, and friend Terri Tompkins to the team as they prepared to walk in the San Francisco 3-­‐Day. Not wanting to end their quest, the four then traveled to San Diego in 2013. Feeling the desire to continue their fundraising for breast cancer research, they signed up to walk in Seattle in 2014. Seattle’s team consisted of Janna, Rae, Jennifer, Caitlin Livingston (Janna’s daughter-­‐in-­‐ law), and Carol Jackson Eliassen, a lifelong friend from Texas that now resides in Seattle and is a breast cancer survivor.

Janna, Rae, Jennifer, and Caitlin will walk in Atlanta in 2015. Each walk has required each of them to raise a minimum of $2,300 to participate. All of the funds they have raised go directly to breast cancer research. Their travel expenses are individually paid.

The Sole-­‐cial Butterflies will continue their walks as long as their feet will keep going. They walk because they can. They walk because they care, and they walk because everyone truly does deserve a lifetime.

To help these girls meet their fundraising goal, go to www.the3day.org, click “Donate” and under “Search for Participant” type in Janna Livingston, Rae Wilson, Jennifer Livingston, or Caitlin Livingston.