Competitive cancer fundraising

Everyone knows that competition is healthy, and cancer is not. However, for breast cancer patient Annelise Picardo's best friend, Barbara Schanker, the two are inseparable.
After deciding to participate in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 15, 2006, Schanker immediately shot to the lead becoming the walk's highest fundraiser in Queens raising over three thousand dollars.
The next thing she knew she'd dropped to third place, with two new participants coming in at $3,095 and $5,240 respectively. &#8220I said to Annelise, Who are these people? They can't beat me. Then I told the guy from the American Cancer Society that I was annoyed. Really annoyed,” Schanker said.
The normally quiet, self-deprecating Schanker is suddenly animated. &#8220I've always been competitive - in business, at sports when I was younger, and nowadays even at games like monopoly.”
Since Picardo was diagnosed in January, Schanker, President and CEO of BGS Services Inc, an accounting firm she runs from the home the two women share in Forest Hills has nursed Picardo through several surgical procedures, including a mastectomy in late September, all her chemo treatments and nausea.
A friend for twenty-five years, Picardo has been BGS's Accounting Manager for the past eleven years, but since her illness, Schanker has had to assume her duties as well.
&#8220It's important to me that if I'm going to do this walk, I want to do it properly - make it worthwhile,” Schanker said. Once she realized she'd fallen behind, she asked Picardo, a writer, to compose a letter soliciting donations from friends and business contacts. As of Tuesday, October 10, her total has risen to $3,585. Not satisfied with third place however, she has composed a new letter and sent it to selected celebrities.
Schanker lost her mother to pancreatic cancer three years ago, then a cousin, and recently a good friend. &#8220Each time the American Cancer Society has been a wonderful resource and I wanted to give back.”
&#8220I'm so glad you're focusing on Barbara, Picardo said. Most stories just look at the cancer patient but I think the caregiver has it much worse. It's so much tougher for them. They shelter the whole burden, and yet can only do so much. The cancer patient has no choice but go through the process, but for the caregiver it's a choice.”
&#8220Yes but you'd do the same for me,” Schanker responded.
Picardo smiles and nods.
They recently received good news. Although Picardo faces eight more months of chemo she found out her cancer is in complete remission.
To check Barbara Schanker's fund raising progress or make donations go to: https://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=1495145&pg=personal&fr_id=2167&et=tlbPgMnHTJ_Hpi08sMs3Gw..&s_tafId=4779