Punk Rock Mommy

Just a reminder about the show… We are having it rain or shine… hot or cold!

Hey! Save the date!
Sunday june 8 3:00 and 7:00

We are hosting ‘Folk music for a Cure’- an evening of music and fun and art.
Featuring singer songwriter and XPN favorite, Nicole Reynolds.

I’ll send a flier and more information when I have it but I wanted to let you know so you can mark it on your calendars.

The suggested donation is $20.00- and every cent goes to benefit the child care fund for Andrea Collins-Smith(cancer warrior) and the 60 mile walk for breast cancer that Erin and Shayna are going to attempt!

To buy tickets in advance, just email me at chana613@hotmail.com

For more info on the cause see the web site below. http://08.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/SanFranciscoBayAreaEvent?px=1308751&pg=personal&fr_id=1188

Call for directions or more info. 609-458-3462

Shayna’s House
17 Willis Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ

For the Girls
Mon., Dec. 10, 8pm-2am. $10. Barbary, 951 Frankford Ave. 267.259.3227. www.punkrockmommy.org

Sex, punk rock, tattoos and cancer make for a benefit as far from the usual hand-holding and tear-shedding 5K walk as humanly possible. Mother of six and blogger Andrea Collins Smith is facing rare terminal inflammatory breast cancer, which is exactly as bad as it sounds. But her friends from every corner of Philly’s balls-to-the-wall community are coming out to show their support and help her and her family. The HellCat Girls, there to put the can-can into cancer, will perform their infamous burlesque routines. There’ll also be a hardcore silent auction, with tattoo art, crafts, paintings and apparel on the block, not to mention busts—as in casts of Smith’s own (now mastectomied) breasts—decorated with tattoo flash by her husband, Body Graphics artist Kelly Smith. The 9.14 PicturesRock School, will screen shorts from the soon-to-be-released The C Word, a documentary about Smith and her family’s day-to-day struggles. The $10 donation gets you a red clown nose, while arriving dressed in full costume renders you eligible for prizes. (Alli Katz)

This was the amazing write up we got in the Philly Weekly. Last week they did a great write up on Kelly and now they totally got behind our Hellcat Girls! So to speak. Anyway, I hope you plan to make a night of it. Some of you will opt out. I have heard you do not think you are cool enough to come. The rest of you better be there!!! With Big red shoes on! We are so thankful to the Philly Weekly (you are so much cooler than the city paper). And a big hug to Jenny Ball, the Hellcat Girls, and the Barbary. I love you all!

Since the announcement of my diagnosis I have been truly blessed by a genuine outpouring of love. Many people stepped forward and decided to help our family in numerous ways. People have cooked and cleaned. People have been willing to shop and run errands. Some have driven me to appointments and sat in many waiting rooms..waiting. Some held my hands after surgery. Some bought me turbans and headcovers. And some decided to put their managerial skills together and organized benefits. These benefits helped my family get through a very difficult time. We were suddenly having to pay child care expenses and additional costs associated with my illness. We knew that we also needed to put money away to help care for the children in the future. And our friends were gracious, generous and kind. I was and am continually moved by the support and love that is shown.

Becky threw a rocking party at the M room. Amanda organized several events including a bingo night and Halloween party. Heather and Brian had an awesome party at their shop, Bicycle Revolutions. The poinsettia sale was very successful. (If you want to order one there is still time I think. ) And it should be said that most of its success was due to the hard work of Mary Lynn and Ruthie as well as the fact that the American Association for Cancer Research  bought 120! My dear friend Morgan works there so she may have had something to do with it.

This month there are two upcoming events that will benefit everybody. Our lovely friend Jenny Ball has enlisted the beautiful and talented hellcat girls burlesque troop. They will be dancing their way into your hearts on December 10th at the newly refurbished Barbary on Frankford Avenue. This “For the Girls” event should be spectacular. There will be live performances by the Hellcat girls as well as an art auction. Kelly is looking for donations b.t.w. And he will be painting a bust of my old bust. Are you missing my boobies too? You can buy them at the auction. They will look great in your bedroom! And 9.14 pictures will be giving us a tease too with a short about me from the upcoming documentary, The C word. It looks like a stellar affair. Please come on out and have a good time. Below is Jenny’s contact info, if you want to donate anything for the silent auction.

The Bawdy Girls are organizing a benefit for Andrea Collins, a dear friend, and mother of six who is battling inflammatory breast cancer. On Monday, December 10th, we will be hosting “For The Girls” Rock&Roll Carnival at The Barbary (located at 951 Frankford Ave). We are looking for donations for our silent auction to help raise money for Andrea and her family. Original artwork, photographs, paintings, apparel, gift certificates, sculptures, crafts, etc. If you are able to donate, please contact Jenny . And please feel free to pass on to anyone you know that would be interested in donating.
Thank you,
Jenny Ball
Jenny@bawdygirl.com

Paul Green is also doing a benefit for our family. Specifically, to help us raise funds for Asa and Tucker to go to Saint Joesph’s Prep. The Rock School event will take place at the TLA on South Street on December 31st. It will be an all -star show with the kids from the Philly and area rock schools doing the best of the season. We are so happy to be part of this and we hope if you have never been to a rock school show you make it out. Nothing is more amazing than seeing these kids nail some of the most awesome rock music of our generation. And if you have been to rock school shows you know how amazing they are. Some special surprises are in store too. Below are the details. I hope you all can make it out for our benefit.

THE PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR

A benefit for the Collins Family, featuring:

THE SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL-STARS

The Collins Family Players

El Fuego * The Feathertops * Crisbie and the original Recipe * Dyslexicon * The Will

$12 advance/$15 at the door

Monday Dec 31st. 11am
doors/12pm show

www.SchoolOfRock.com

Again i thank you for all the love and support. I hope that if you live in Philadelphia or the surrounding area you will take the time to attend either/both of these events. We appreciate your support.

Hey Y’all,

Holidays are comin, and you need a poinsetta to decorate your window philly style, right? But where can you get one and also manage to contribute to a great cause at the same time to put you in the
holiday spirit?
Right here, my friends, right here.

Some fantastic folks have generously offered to collect your orders and dollars, so I think we should have you all covered.

North  Philly people

Circle Thrift
http://www.circlethrift.com/

The Rocket Cat
http://www.myspace.com/therocketcatcafe

South Philly

Crash Bang Boom
http://www.crashbangboomonline.com/

Bicycle Revolutions
http://bicyclerevolutions.com/

Benna’s Cafe
http://bennascafe.com/

Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar
http://www.thehappybirthdaybar.com/

If you think you can sell a bunch at work, or feel like contributing more to this effort, Please let me know, and thank you for reposting.!!!

Deadline for orders and payment is Nov. 19th. 20bucks. Please let me know if you are interested. You think that you can sell or need 50? We’ll deliver them anywhere you want. So, drop a line. Let me know what you want Pink, Red, White (or one of each?). Thanks guys!
xxxoo
Ruthie

My dear friends are having a fund raising event on Saturday October 6th to benefit my family. I am including all the information in the hope that you may have a chance to come out. I am going to try to come by for a while myself.

From Heather and Brian:

Hi again. It is almost time for the big event. We are getting in lots of great donated item and you will certainly want to stop by to try to win yourself some of the cool stuff. Our neighbors and friends have really been amazing. We have work from several local artists, gift certificates to great shops and restaurants, cool things ( Kozik print from the guys at Trinity), gift certificates to get tattooed, and really sweet glasses made by Kurt Halsey. All that plus food, booze, fun folks, and an amazing cause.

Details:

Saturday October 6th

7pm to 11pm

Bicycle Revolutions

712 South 4th Street

215-629-2453

Please come out and help support our family. I think everyone will have a really nice time!!!

My dear friends Heather and Bryan are throwing a benefit on October 6th at their shop Bicycle Revolutions. All the information is here. My friends have been so supportive in this way. I am so grateful to you all for your love and concern. I feel very fortunate. If you live in south philly please make sure to come out. I will be there for a while as well with the kids! So read on…about this awesome upcoming event!!!

Another benefit of cancer, especially when it gets more serious, is that friends who you haven’t seen or talked to in years start to come back to you. It is overwhelming, actually, the number of people who have written to me to show their support. I find it bittersweet. I would never have been in any kind of touch with many of them if it hadn’t been for cancer. Yet, I am glad that I have been reconnected to them. Once again, there is this debt of gratitude that I owe to my cancer.”Rachel Troxell

June 25, 2007

Hello All.

Since opening Bicycle Revolutions, we’ve experienced something greater than simply selling bikes. We’ve met wonderful people. Made lasting friendships. Truly discovered what it is to be a part of a community. Which is why we’re asking for your help as we plan a community fundraiser.

Two close friends of our little community, Rachel Levin Troxell and Andrea Collins-Smith, have—like far too many women—been stricken with breast cancer. These are two strong, independent women who are both fighting a frightening battle with two different forms of breast cancer, and Bicycle Revolutions is holding a benefit in their honor.

Rachel is a longtime friend whose energy and vitality was inspiring far before she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She initially went through chemo treatments, and appeared to be better. Unfortunately her cancer metastasized this year and she was sicker than ever before. Thankfully, she seems to be back on the road to recovery and living the spirited, healthy life she lived prior to cancer. You can read about her progress on her blog, where she inspires all of us with quotes like the one above: http://rachellevin.blogspot.com/

Andrea is an old friend of ours—she is a tough, loving, and deeply spiritual woman. She’s also the mother of six children and is suffering from inflammatory breast cancer, which is very rare, difficult to cure, and has a frightening mortality rate. She is currently undergoing an exhausting treatment regimen and has set up a trust for her six kids. That trust will be one of the recipients of money we raise at our event, so our efforts will directly benefit her beloved children. Her blog can be found at http://olshefski.org/punkrockmommy/blog

So how are we helping these amazing women? We’re hosting a benefit at our shop on October 6^th. The event will bring together our friends, celebrate Rachel and Andrea’s fights against cancer, lift spirits, and hopefully raise a boatload of money for Andrea’s children and the Young Survival Coalition a non-profit dedicated to young women living with breast cancer. The main event will be a big party with lots of food, drinks, and music all for a low admission charge of $10. Every dollar of that is being donated. We will also be raffling off a bunch of great items, all of which have been donated. All of that cash will be distributed to Andrea’s trust and the Young Survival Coalition as well.

We know that there seems to be a thousand benefits for a million different causes. But take a moment to think about cancer, and breast cancer in particular. We‘ve all been affected by this disease in one way or another, and Rachel and Andrea are two more examples of beautiful, vibrant, intelligent people who have to suffer through cancer. And they are two more people in our community that we can all get together and help.

If you have any questions, feel free to email or call us about the event. We will be sending out more details, including a time for the party, a sneak peak at some of the items we will be raffling, and hopefully a little sponsorship info when the event gets closer.

We hope to see you there,

Bryan VanArsdale & Heather DeRonck