August 15, 2001
Cancer survivor local hero in Ultimate Drive
By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
Cheryl Snyder doesn't think of herself as a hero, a survivor- yes, a hero-no. Snyder, who volunteers for a program called Navigators, was named a local hero however, by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and The Ultimate Drive.
Snyder, a 10-year breast cancer survivor from Traverse City, works with the Munson Medical organization which pairs breast cancer survivors with newly diagnosed women to help them navigate their way through the disease.
"It's a great group, the only problem is the pre-requisite, you have to be a breast cancer survivor to be a member," said Snyder, who has been volunteering for seven years.
After being diagnosed at the age of 36, Snyder notes, "I'm just giving back some of what I took. Women don't have to feel that they are in this alone."
Snyder was honored Monday during the fifth annual Ultimate Drive, sponsored by BMW, at Grand Traverse Auto.
BMW who has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for five years, sponsors The Ultimate Drive, allowing the public to test-drive BMW's and raise money for cancer awareness and research at the same time.
BMW donates one dollar for every mile driven during the seven-month campaign at more than 200 dealerships from New York City cross country to Los Angeles. The Komen Foundation has been able to raise more than $4 million over the past four years and expects to add another million this year through this partnership.
The Komen Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36 and has raised more than $300 million used for research, education, screening and treatment.
Jill Bee, a volunteer with the Komen Foundation from Dallas, Texas who travels with The Ultimate Drive said the organization has only one mission: "We are driven to find a cure."