Virginia Anderson was honored as Volunteer of the Year for LifeSpark Cancer Resources. She was honored on Sunday, June 22nd at LifeSpark's "Day of Gratitude" event held at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Arvada. This first-annual event honored and recognized the persons, foundations and businesses that support LifeSpark. Over 75 people attended.
LifeSpark Cancer Resources is a non-profit organization that supports people with cancer who are undergoing cancer treatment. The organization utilizes Reiki and Healing Touch, two complementary energy therapies that have been shown to be effective in supporting people with cancer.
Recognition, thanks and awards were extended to volunteers, providers of sessions, host sites, and donors of money, goods, and services. Over the past 5 1/2 years LifeSpark provided sessions to 261 cancer patients, with over 3209 hours of direct service to them. Providers currently serve at 6 locations in the Metro Denver area and Boulder. Included are: Boulder Foothills Hospital/Tebo Family Medical Pavilion, DenverHealthMedicalCenter, GreenMountainUnitedMethodistChurch, HealthLinks Clinic, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, and Swedish Radiation Oncology.
All Reiki and Healing Touch providers have met minimum training and experience levels while also completing an 18 hour LifeSpark training seminar. All providers volunteer their services.
Co-volunteers of the year awards were presented to Bob O'Connell and Beverly Ball, each of whom provided more than 200 session hours to cancer participants, and also served in many other voluntary capacities.
Volunteer energy therapy providers attending (with over 20 hours of sessions): Virginia Anderson, Beverly Ball, Dayle Bathurst, Marilyn Braniff, Nancy Burns, David Burrows, Chris Carroll, Lou Johnson, Nicole Kasemir, Debbie Kern, Colleen Laine, Felicia McCarthy, Irene Martin, Morris Movsovich, Ruth Muhr, Diana Marlowe Newman, Carrie Niewenhous, Bob O'Connell, Bonnie Peiffer, Chris Pfaffman, Dory Pinkham, Sandy Priester, Bonnie Rickles, and Susan Seago.
Major donors attending: Cancer League of Colorado represented by Annette Jewell. Lisa Anselme, Pat and Russ Arch, Ed and Ruth Muhr, Carrie Niewenhous, Bonnie Peiffer, Rick and Chris Pfaffman, Bob and
Sandy Priester, and Dr. Brian and Marion Wilson.
Site donors attending: Susan Elling representing BoulderFoothillsHospital/ Tebo Family Medical Pavilion; Barbara Schwendler representing DenverHealthMedicalCenter; Bob DeWees representing King of Glory Lutheran Church; and Lisa Anselme, representing Healing Touch International. Monthly LifeSpark meetings are held at the latter two sites.
Food was provided by Grand Hyatt Denver, and prepared by Chef Chris Tait. Flowers were donated by Shirley Bernard. Cara Cantarella provided beautiful vocal music accompanied by guitar, and Tama Kieves, author of "This Time I Dance", provided a beautiful closing ceremony. Cara has recently released a CD titled Letter to the World. She chose her song, "Only You" to honor the assembled honorees.
Energy Partners Program
Boulder
, Lakewood
Denver, & Littleton
Mailing Address:
355 S Teller St, Ste 200
Lakewood, CO80226
303-425-5670
LifeSparkNow.org
info@LifeSparkNow.org
LifeSpark Cancer Resources is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization.
Contributions are tax-exempt to the extent provided by law.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE AND HOW DOES THIS PROGRAM WORK?
Adults (18+ yrs old) with any type or any stage of cancer are eligible. Those receiving medical treatment are given highest priority for placement in the program. Individuals with cancer are matched with a Reiki or Healing Touch provider, and sessions occur weekly for three months, with an option to renew. Program participants pay greatly reduced sliding scale fees for the sessions.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A SESSION?
The individual lies fully clothed on a massage table while the provider gently places their hands on or slightly above the individual. Many participants report feeling deeply relaxed and peaceful during and after the session.
WHAT ARE ENERGY THERAPIES?
Healing Touch and Reiki are two methods of energy therapies providing care and support to the individual with cancer through gentle touch. Energy therapies complement medical treatment by promoting deep relaxation and a sense of well-being.
WHERE DO SESSIONS OCCUR?• HealthLinks Clinic, Boulder
• BoulderCommunityHospital, Tebo Family Medical Pavilion, Boulder
• GreenMountain United MethodistChurch, Lakewood
• Swedish Radiation Oncology, Englewood
• St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Denver
• DenverHealthMedicalCenter, Denver
RESEARCH ON REIKI AND HEALING TOUCH
Energy therapies are safe, gentle, and reliable. Ongoing medical research suggests that Healing
Touch and Reiki can minimize some side effects of cancer treatment. Benefits may include:
• Improvement in energy and well-being
• Decreased pain, anxiety and depression
• Support for healing after surgery and medical procedures
• A feeling of being cared for and nurtured
REIKI AND HEALING TOUCH: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFER ENCES
Reiki and Healing Touch are both energy therapies that use light touch to clear and balance the energy field. Reiki, developed by a physician in Japan in the early 1900's, has an eastern perspective, and is deceptively simple in its techniques. Healing Touch, developed by a Colorado nurse in the 1980's, is founded in nursing process and incorporates many healing traditions.
Individuals receiving sessions report that the experience and benefits are similar.
OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES USING ENERGY THERAPIES
Since the late 1990's, Reiki (R) and Healing Touch (HT), have been practiced in medical centers world-wide. Facilities currently incorporating these therapies include:
• ScrippsCenter for Integrative Medicine, La Jolla, CA (HT)
• GeorgeWashingtonUniversityHospital, Center for Integrative Medicine, Washington, DC (R)
• Queen's Medical Center Pain Management Department, Honolulu, HI (HT)
• MemorialSloanKetteringCancerCenter, Integrative Medicine, New York, NY (R)
For more information about LifeSpark Cancer Resources, call 303-425-670 or visit www.LifeSparkNow.org.