We had 16 attendees at the Southwest Thanksgiving ACC Lunch in Oceanside, Californa, 8 of whom have ACC.

We each took a few minutes to introduce ourselves and those with ACC gave a brief account of their ACC situation. We had quite a variety of members, from those who haven't yet begun treatment to one who has been battling ACC for many years.

After lunch a NORD article, the University of Virginia ACC Research Project update, and our Hope for the Holidays letter were distributed. We then had a question and answer session. It was nice to get to know each other a little, although our time together was too short.

Prudence Jackson, President
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Organization International

Jackie (behind Dan), Dan and Prudence

(left to right) Fran, Cedric, Garrick, Bill, Kelly and Barbie (left to right) Dan, Lynn, Betsy, Celeste, Denise, Karen & Peter

Southeast ACC Lunch

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Left to right:

Shelley Helms, Deborah Stavely, Dianna Helms, Laura May (behind Dianna and Jean), Jean Dial , Ralph Dial (behind Jean and Nancy), Nancy Martin , Kristye Dial and Jim Martin.

“We had a wonderful lunch, shared our stories and collected some information. I think it was a wonderful thing for us all to get together. It’s nice to not feel so alone in this. And the attendees were so smart and good looking! It really was a pleasure to meet the group. We are hoping to get together again in the summer.” -- Shelley

New Year's Day 2002 Southwest Get-Together: Denise, Pru and Bobbie

From bottom left (partially hidden) Roz Sharon, Libby Fitzgerald, Mary Kay McGrain, Bobbie Clyne, Jackie Rossier, standing behind Jackie are Ron Sharon and Donna McGary, Sue Vogel and Dan Sheingold, and the lady in the hat is Anita Zloczower's mother.

John and Libby Fitzgerald

Maria Harden (NORD rep), Dan Sheingold, Jean Campbell (NORD rep), Roz and Ron Sharon.

Bottom right to left (backs to camera Jackie Rossier, Sue Vogel and Dan Sheingold) Chuck Rossier, Maria Harden, Jean Campbell, Anita Zloczower, Sharon Klein, Roz Sharon.

Bobbie Clyne and Bill Hamme.

Northwest USA January 2003

We had a group of 15 people (pictured above) - 7 of us with ACC (pictured below). The gathering was purposely very informal and meant to be an opportunity to get to know others and share our ACC experiences first hand. We can access studies, reports and volumes of information, thank goodness, with our available resources. The ACC web site and group posts are fabulous and invaluable to say the least, but what it does not provide us is human contact and interaction.

From Top Left to Right: Carolyn Hiestand, Bill Friedrich, Dan Dube', Stan Dunham,
Bottom: Jennifer Matthews, Julie Paredes, Sherri McEwen

Dan Dube’ (left) Julie Paredes (right)

Dan Dube’, Jackie Rossier, Chuck Rossier, Julie Paredes

One of the highlights of our trip to Seattle was meeting Dan Dube & Julie Paredes. Jackie has not directly participated in ACCOI, but she was very pleased to see wonderful people who also have ACC. Dan & Julie gave me permission to send you the pictures. Jackie gave me permission 32 years ago when she said, "I do."

Shalom,
Chuck

Midwest Gathering on ACC Awareness Day - April 12, 2003

Wanda and Bill, Connie, Leah, Mary, Jean and Kathy

We consider this quite an accomplishment in that members are not only from Minnesota but the states of Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Kansas.

NORTHWEST LUNCH MEETING, MAY 30, 2003

NORTHWEST LUNCH MEETING, MAY 30, 2003 – GILDA’S CLUB, SEATTLE Our loosely organized Northwest ACC Group had their 5th bi-annual meeting on May 31st in Seattle at the Gilda’s Club cancer support center. We have been getting together for the past two years, with our first meeting anniversary date coming up this August. Over this past year we have lost several members to ACC and we have also gained a few members who have discovered there are folks in this area. We acknowledged the loss of Rosemary Wells, Sharon Roper and Gary Schrek, and soon after our meeting Sherri McEwan from Vancouver BC also left this world for a better place. We also continue to find great support in the many smaller meetings that take place all year long and the close personal relationships that have developed as we reach out to one another and make time to help. Our group is made up primarily of people who are also part of the ACCOI on-line group, and we continue to contact and stay in touch with others as well. We post this picture and our story as an encouragement to others to do the same and stay involved with those ACC folks who you can possibly see, touch and support.

Our group consists of about 21 ACC survivors from Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia. Here are the names of the folks that you will see in the picture, with an * after each ACC survivor:

(Bottom row, seated or kneeling going left to right) Larry* Harrington, Val (friend of Jennifers), Joylee* Pentz, Roz* Mintz, Jennifer* Matthews, Denise Dunham, Danara* Stewart, Julie* Paredes (Back row, standing, going left to right) Dan* Dube', Dawn Dube', Jim Pentz, Barb McNeil (friend of Lisa), Lisa* Detlor, Julie Detlor (Lisa's mom), Kimberly* Gronsdahl, Brian Gronsdahl, Stan* Dunham, Tim Hiestand, Carolyn* Hiestand, Marnie Tamaki (Danara's mom), and Daniel Paredes. (not pictured, Joseph Singer, son of Bernice* (Mintz) Singer who lives in Israel)

From left to right ACCers and their partners from The Netherlands, Finland and Switzerland
Feikje Baarda, Gerrit Dijkstra, Marina Speck, Sarah Summers, Pieter and Ine van den Eijnden