This year marks the very first 1,000 Cooks for the Cure, a nationwide event initiated by KitchenAid in conjunction with its Cook for the Cure® program benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Between July 16-18, cooks all over the United States are joining together to make a difference by sharing their culinary talents with friends and family all for a good cause – to help end breast cancer forever.

I have joined them by signing up to host a party, and you can too. It’s easy to sign up on their site, and they also have included a party guide with tips to help you plan the perfect soiree or simple gathering. You can also print donation forms to pass out to your guests.

I was the 35th cook to sign up, and you can make a donation to my party online on the Susan G. Komen Cook for the Cure website. My Cook ID # is 35.

Among the Cook for the Cure items on KitchenAid’s website (many on sale right now, by the way), is the Pass the Plate serving dish ($24.99). The purpose of this dish is to make one of your favorite recipes, put it on the plate, and pass it to a friend. KitchenAid will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® every time a plate is passed and registered. You can also earn one of these plates for free if you register to host a party and raise $50 by September 30.

I am looking forward to sharing the details of my party with you here next week. As a thank-you for attending my party both online and in person, anyone who makes a donation will be entered to win this KitchenAid Cook for the Cure® Set of 3 Mixing Bowls.

Would you be willing to Pass the Plate? Let me know, and I just might send it in your direction. Also, if you make a donation, please let me know so that I may enter your name in the drawing. Have a great rest of the week and weekend!

Please join us all day as we carhop for tips in an effort to end breast cancer forever. Don’t forget to bring your appetite & thirst — and your cash (we are only benefiting from tips). Hope to see you there!

Edit: I am really sorry to those of you who came before 4:00 PM on Saturday. There was a misunderstanding between Sonic and PSIM and they were not allowed to work the entire day there as expected. We did not find out about that until we showed up for our shift at 4:00 PM. Thank-you for coming and leaving donations. We appreciate it very much. Here are a few photos of us from the event:

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Komen were nice enough to let us set up a table at the Frisco location. They donated 15% of the sales all day to the North Texas affiliate! Woot! We arrived at 11:00 AM to set up our table of pink ribbon rubber ducks, charm bracelets, and other items to sell along side our donation bucket. We also put together 20 swag bags thanks to our generous sponsors: Hanes, Sharpie, Softlips, Save the TaTas, and Energizer. We had posted flyers on Facebook and Twitter encouraging our friends, family and followers to come visit us at the event. In exchange they got one of the bags. They were a big hit and super cute (if I do say so myself)!

See? I told you they were cute! We had planned on using some pink ribbon plastic bags to hand out the goodies in, but Energizer donated the pink Stephanie Johnson cosmetic bags which arrived the morning of the fundraiser. They were the perfect size for all of the other goodies we stuffed inside, so we skipped the plastic bags all together. Hanes sent us 20 packages of socks to put in the bags as well as give out to attendees. I bet everyone is going to enjoy those on the walk this Saturday too! I love Softlips, and they gave us 20 double packages of their SPF 20 varieties. I discovered them in 2008 during the 3-Day (Pearl is my favorite) and they are fantastic. I am the biggest Sharpie fanatic ever, and I think everyone should own a pink ribbon one… or two! They sent us a small army of markers– so generous!

Save the TaTas had previously donated some stickers and other items. We still had some of those left from last year, so we included them along with pens and pencils with our team name and other cute breast cancer awareness items.

Of course after all of our hard work, we had to chow down on some burgers and frozen custard. It was hot, and definitely the perfect day for a cold treat. Nikki and I each had a strawberry shortcake. Yum!

The guys enjoyed their socks, and the girls enjoyed their swag filled cosmetic bags… and a good time was had by all for a good cause.

Bobbi Janay from Kid to Grown Up came by with her son Ian and we chatted about blogging, upcoming conferences and rude blog comments. We watched Ian eat a sundae with a fork, and I finally got to see Boogie Wipes in action. They smell like grape, people! Also, she is a true fan of the product and used about ten before our very eyes. Too funny.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello, gave us a donation, and came to chow down with us. Thank you very much again to our sponsors. We had a fun day together and are definitely looking forward to Saturday when we get to see the rest of our team and enjoy the Race! If you wanted to make a donation and were not able to make it, you can do so on my 3-Day page online and our Race for the Cure team page.

Disclosure: Breast cancer is a cause that affects people everywhere, which is why Hanes® has renewed its partnership with Komen for the Cure this year as the Official T-shirt of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Series. Learning that we were walking this year, Hanes offered to outfit our team in customized Hanes tees to further promote breast cancer awareness. No monetary exchange took place.

My team Breast Friends Forever will be doing just that, tomorrow. On June 8, we’ll be at the Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in Frisco with pink ribbon ducks, breast cancer charm bracelets, pins, and other fantastic items to benefit our Race for the Cure and 3-Day team. We will also have swag bags for the first 20 that bring or mention our flyer. Those swag bags will include pink socks from Hanes, double packs of SPF 20 Softlips, pink ribbon Sharpie markers, Save the Ta-Tas stickers and more!

I hope to see our fellow DFW wakers and crew members there!

Also, I cannot say thank-you enough to IZEA who sponsored the event, and to On The Border in West McKinney who will be donating a portion of the night’s proceeds to my 2009 Race for the Cure.

I was very impressed with all of the help that On The Border gave me. The manager had all of his staff on hand, and asked that they wear their “Festa for the Cure” gear. With my balloons, banner, and items for sale and up for raffle, the theme of the evening – raising funds to find a cure for breast cancer – was evident.

Ted Murphy, IZEA’s CEO, even made an appearance at the event! Okay… so it was only a laminated photo of his head, but I think he still had a pretty good time! We got a good laugh out of it, too. I hope the “real” Ted finds it as amusing as we did.

Of course I cannot forget about the food. I had an amazing Sizzling Fajita Salad. This is one of my most favorite meals on the planet. It makes me feel like I am being healthy, but really it is kind of naughty. D and I also split the new desert sampler. We wouldn’t really recommend this though. Sorry, OTB! But it does look super yummy, huh?!

I also met some new friends thanks to my Facebook Group. Cathy (center) is currently going through treatment for breast cancer. She brought three of her friends (only two are pictured). They were the first to arrive shortly before 5:00 PM and each got one of my gift bags. They stayed for hours chatting and seemed to have a great time. I am so glad that they were able to join us! I just love that social media is able to bring perfect strangers together for a great cause. I am always very honored and humbled to be thanked by people like Cathy and her friend Barbara. It makes me feel like this really does make a difference.

I mentioned that we had a lot of friends show up to support us too. Dave’s co-worker, Heidi, brought her mom and daughter. She actually had a fundraiser at the same location several months back for a Leukemia run that she is doing in May. Dave’s former co-worker, Ken, also came and brought some other friends.

My awesome friends came out in abundance. This location is very small, and it we were all very spread out. I was trying to mingle between tables while posting updates on Twitter and Facebook, but it became pretty hard. At one point we had at least 7 different groups of friends and their families. Krista and Helen were among the first, sat with us, and stayed until the end.

Nikki, her fiance Craig, and her two kiddos joined us too. Nikki and I walked together in the Breast Cancer 3-Day last year, so we’ve been through a lot together. Sleeping in a cozy two person tent and walking 60 miles with a person makes you pretty close. She has been terribly sick all week, but still managed to join us anyway. I think she enjoyed looking especially miserable in the photo below. I hope you feel better soon, Nik!

Jodie and Allen also came and brought their adorable little girl. They have also all been very sick too, so I appreciate that they were able to make it as well. Trish brought her family, and her daughter especially loved the IZEA silly putty that was in the swag bag. Look at what she made. Too cute!

I think we had a really successful event and a lot of fun for a good cause. I am a little sad that I wasn’t able to get pictures with everyone. We had more friends there too. At one point I only had my cell phone, so you can see Kris smelling her pink breast cancer Sharpie, my pink balloons, Daena and her cute black & pink shirt, and Barbara’s cool breast cancer shoes and more on Twitter/Facebook. Thanks again to everyone that came out and participated. I appreciate it! I hope everyone had fun for this great cause.

I know that you all know that this is something that I am very passionate about, and that I would happily put myself WAY out of my comfort zone by asking strangers for money, wearing a bra and holding up a sign onthe side of the road, walking 60 miles, doing a 5K (twice) — all to find a cure for this awful disease. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe with my whole entire being that this is important and that maybe I am making a small difference. Of course, I couldn’t do it without the help of my friends. Thank you again to those of you that have donated, sent me messages of support, and told me your story, or the story of your friends and relatives who have or are dealing with breast cancer now. I am inspired and encouraged by the stories of survival, and moved by the tragic loses.

Can you believe that Dave will also be walking with me? He has not registered yet, but he has committed to participating in the 5K with me in memory of his mother who passed away in 1996 from breast cancer. I am very proud of him, and I know that she would be too. I wish that I had gotten the chance to meet her.

The walk is not until June 6, so we still have time to continue to raise funds for Komen North Texas. I have reached 45% of my goal as of today. You can make a donation today to support me too. I hope to raise $500 by the date of the walk this summer.

I also want to thank On The Border in West McKinney for generously offering a percentage of tonight’s proceeds to Komen North Texas and my walk. They are also donating coupons for my swag bags, and gift cards for me to raffle. Save the Ta-Tas also donated an awesome gift basket, in addition to stickers which will be included in the swag bags. I will also have some other cool breast cancer related stuff, IZEA goodies, in addition to Mary Kay samples provided by the very cool and entertaining Eddie.

If you are in the Plano/Frisco/McKinney area, I hope that you will drop by and say hello. We will be there from 5PM until close. On The Border is one of my favorite restaurants, and they have awesome meals. I can taste my Sizzling Fajita Salad right now! Hope to see you there!

If you can’t be in McKinney with us, you can support me virtually by following me on Twitter and Facebook to interact with us during the event. Go here and leave me a comment too, if you haven’t already.

We had a few really nice people drive by and donate which felt awesome, in addition to a man who came by to tell us about his wife who passed away from breast cancer. It was so sad. He went back to his car to leave, and then came back and brought us a bag of pink Pepperidge Farm cookies. We were all really moved and touched. We also had survivors come by, in addition to Linda and Grace who work the route on the event and Jan who drives one of the sweep vans on event. It was awesome to hear first hand some of things we have to look forward to and get some tips. We were so glad that they stopped by to share their stories with us.

With the event just around the corner, I’d also like to share the Cheering Stations that you can come by and meet us at during our journey. We would love to see you and get your support!

Cheering Stations are a great way to show your support along the route to encourage walkers and let them know that you are with them every step of the way. Seeing familiar faces cheering them on can provide that extra burst of energy that gets them to take that next step or go the next mile. Create banners, hold up signs, bring some music and make some noise – anything to make them smile, get energized and keep walking.

Friday, November 7:

9:00 am – 10:30 am
Collin Creek Crossing (Syms & Hobby Lobby)
800 – 900 West 15th Street, Plano
Please park in parking spaces closest to 15th St.

12:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Albertson’s
4625 Frankford Rd., Dallas
Please do not park in front of other stores

Saturday, November 8:

7:30 am – 9:45 am
Carrollton Plaza Supermarket
3040 N Josey Ln, Carrollton

10:15 am – 1:45 pm
Kroger Signature
3305 N. Dallas Pkwy, Plano
Park behind store on Communications Pkwy. Please do not park in front of other stores.

Sunday, November 9:

7:45 am – 9:45 am
Prestonwood Town Center – Walmart
SE corner of Arapaho & Montfort/Knoll Trail
15220 Montfort Rd, Dallas
Park north of Walmart – closest to Arapaho

Want more supporter info? Follow this link to get opening and closing ceremony information. I want to share this experience with all of the wonderful people that supported me during this year. If you are not in Texas, don’t worry! You can actually go to that link and watch us LIVE on the camp web feed! Don’t forget you can also write me letters at camp. I cannot tell you how much of a difference it will make when I walk into camp to read your letters after walking 20+ miles each day:

Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office
ATTN: LAURIE BROSIUS
5100 Eldorado Parkway
PMB 539
McKinney, TX 75070

They are accepting the letters through October 28th at that address, so you still have a few weeks to send them. Send me a letter, pretty please!

Here are a few pictures. Courtney took a ton of fabulous ones, so when she sends them Monday or next week I’ll add them too:

Craig, Nikki & I stood on the corner of Alma with bras and signs. It was a blast!

We set up a table with lemonade, baked goods and pictures of our loved ones.

We had a few bottles of wine when it was all over!