AUGUST 26, 2010

LiveSTRONG Headquarters

I was given the privilege over this past weekend to attend a young adult cancer survivors retreat in Austin, TX.  This retreat was put on by Planet Cancer (please go to their website if you haven't already) and LiveSTRONG.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to go, but with some coordination and help from amazing people (thanks, Levin, Sharon and Phil), I was able to make it work.

One of my best friends, Sharon, lives in Austin, so I flew out on Thursday afternoon to spend the night and Friday with her and her family.  Sharon and her 4 yr-old daughter picked me up from airport, and we went to meet up with her husband and other daughter.  It was so much fun to catch up with them, get to know both girls, and in general, relax.  I love having friends where, in spite of not having seen one another in more than three years, it's as if no time has passed.

After much fun searching for a LiveSTRONG bracelet on Friday (mine broke Thursday as I was taking it off!!!), meeting up with some guys at the local running store, and an amazing lunch at the Hula Hut (yum!), Sharon dropped me off at the LiveSTRONG headquarters in Austin.  And, thus started the next part of my adventure.

I debated going into the details of the office building, and realized that this post is already going to be long enough and so I'll spare you the minutia (but not pictures).  Suffice it to say that the building is one I'd L-O-V-E to work in - it's a renovated paper mill warehouse, and they have taken parts of the old roof to make conference rooms, kept the flooring the same, etc.  It's a green building, and just beautiful.  

Walking into the front door, this greets you.  AWESOME!

Sitting in the reception area, getting to know some of the other survivors on this retreat.  We were all VERY picture happy!  Unfortunately, all of the retreat folks weren't there, but it was amazing to get to spend this special time with these folks. 

I saw this and couldn't resist snapping a photo. 

The building is full of art - pieces of Lance's personal collection (yes, I refer to him as Lance - he's a friend....in my dreams), pieces that have been donated, etc.  This one is a piece made for Lance out of bicycles - each piece represents a part of Lance's life.  The story starts with the yellow bike, which has symbols on it representing his battle with cancer and his journey to survivorship.  The others represent his wins in the Tour, birth of his children, etc.  And, it rotates! 

Looking from the back of the building towards the front reception area.  The conference rooms are all built out of recycled wood form the ceiling (they removed 3/4 of the roof and added the skylights, then reused the wood!).  And, the conference rooms all have open tops and/or windows on at least one side, representing the openness of the office, the organization, and the transparency of the people.

Another view of the office.

This is a piece of Lance's personal art collection.  Some of the folks working at LS don't care for it to be near their work space.  The concept behind it is that t represents how cancer affects you - they painted several layers on the canvas, then tore pieces away.  It looks busy, and it is, but I loved this piece, esp. the meaning.  Up close, it was extremely powerful (and I'm not an art kind of person). 

In the cafe area of the building, they have the table where the idea for LiveSTRONG and the Lance Armstrong Foundation were born.  When they moved into this building, the restaurant, Z Tejas, donated the table and chairs that birthed this amazing movement.  I had to sit in Lance's chair and get a picture.  Do you blame me?

I loved this - it was off in a corner, and I thought it perfectly represents the community that cancer brings together.  We ARE more than one, yet we're all in the same fight. 

I saw this poster on one of the cubes.  I want.  I want desperately. 

Oh yes - these are THE jerseys.  Lance wore these during each of the Tour de France races he won.  They are behind glass, so we couldn't touch.  I touched the glass - does that count? 

One of the final things we did before leaving the LiveSTRONG offices to head up to the retreat was to go into the not-yet-opened SurvivorCare center (I hope I got that name right).  LiveSTRONG offers survivors at all stages assistance through the web and on the phone, to help guide you through the confusion of medical insurance, assistance finding local help, talking with someone about what you're going through, etc.  They have a TON of resources that I didn't know about - did you know that they offer classes for nurses as well as guidance and class room instruction for teachers, based on grade level?  Anyways, this was in the section of the soon-to-be-opened in-person SurvivorCare center, which will allow survivors in Austin the chance to go into the center and talk with someone one-on-one, rather than talking with them on the phone or via the internet.  I talked with them about maybe getting one established here in Phoenix.  I think I'm aiming high, but I've not been known to do less than that, so why stop now?

I think I'll end this post with this picture, and start the next one up with the retreat itself. 

*sigh*  I miss Austin already. 

Comments:

mtbikernate said...

no kidding! this is awful late. Hahaha.

What a great retreat, though! Nice to meet another Cancer to 5k participant there. It was great meeting you!

September 19, 2010 at 9:18 PM