The Nutley Thriving Survivors is a support program for women in Nutley, and their families, who have been affected by breast cancer. Our mission is to assist women going through treatment offering personal support as well as any physically needed assistance, such as transportation and food preparation. We also celebrate the success of these women, whom we call “Thrivers.” We see them as role-models of hope. Members and supporters include women who have had breast cancer, as well as men and women who have family and friends who have been affected.

Since 2003, the group has held an annual “Health Walk” through Nutley parks on a Saturday morning in October, followed by a brunch on Sunday morning. Each year, more than 200 men, women and children participate in the walk and the brunch. The brunch is free to “thrivers,” along with one guest each. Each year the program gets bigger and better.

The walkers are provided with a Nutley Thriving Survivors sweatshirt At the end of each walk a short ceremony is held to show support, as well as honor the memory of those who lost their fight. A cherry tree was dedicated to those women the first year, white doves and butterflies were released in each of the subsequent years.

The brunch always highlights a “thriver,” by sharing her story. As a guest speaker, we have had Saranne Rothberg from Comedy Cures, Dr. Elisa Santoro, founder of the Breast Center in Livingston and Mrs. Barbara Campisi, the mother of a young women who lost her fight. We had a fashion show of “Thrivers,” with clothing donated by the Dress Barn and most recently presented a video of the program, showing the walk and highlighting “thrivers” and supporters.

Corporate sponsorship from Roche, Nutley Unico and the Nutley Department of Public Affairs, as well as donations from various businesses and supporters, has helped pay for the brunch and the sweatshirts. Not always certain of this funding, the Nutley Thriving Survivors sponsored a golf outing in May, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The outings were both very successful. It is an outing that brings together both men and women golfers for a common cause. In 2005, the organization was able to contribute $1500 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, an organization that has helped many of our “thrivers” through their diagnosis and treatment.

Plans are already under way for 2008. The organization will have an evening walk on October 5, 2008 at the oval on Franklin Avenue and the brunch is set for Sunday, October 6, 2008.