By: Faith A. Wentz, CTRS

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the current District I Representative. I have been a member of PTRS since 2008. This past 2012, I served on the TRI Committee and learned that everyone has something to contribute. I look forward to serving on the 2013 TRI Committee and many more! I have been a CTRS at the Achievement Center in Erie for 11 years, working with children from ages 6-21 in the Physical Rehabilitation Department.  When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially my husband (Dale) of 6 years and his wonderful girls (Chandra, Alexis, and Corinne). We enjoy camping, canoeing, 4-wheeling, and snowmobiling!

District I Happenings

Carrie Chuisano presented "A Practical Guide for Planning & Programming for Persons with Dementia" in Erie, PA on April 9, 2013. There were 32 participants in attendance, all with excellent evaluations. Some examples of feedback given were: "I found it very informative." "I feel the presentation was energetic & I feel energized myself", "Very good workshop. Lots of information and ideas", "Don't change anything! I learn more from these workshops than those given by Dept. of Aging", and "You had a good pace and a lot of appropriate examples". Thank you, Carrie, for an excellent presentation and a willingness to go above and beyond in all you do!

How amazing was the 44th Annual Therapeutic Recreation Institute (Generation 2 Generation: People are What Matter)?

According to the attendees which totaled 133 (49 full package and 84 commuters) they said it was AMAZING! We know this because 42% rated it as excellent and 54% rated it as good, 4 % rated it as average and 0% as poor.  

Another AMAZING statistic was that 99% would recommend the TRI to other professionals to attend. Therefore, if you were unable to attend or decided not to come in 2012 please strongly consider coming in 2013 to the 45th Annual TRI as we are sure it will be just as AMAZING if not more AMAZING!

Some interesting data about who attended the 2012 TRI, why and their opinion of the value can be found in the following statistics

• 70% of attendees are CTRS
• 30% of attendees are ADC
• 57% are non-members of PTRS
• 43% are PTRS members
• 96% believe the cost of the TRI is a good value
• 85% of attendees liked the changes to the format and schedule
• 50% of attendees state the deciding factor to attend is the content of sessions
• 33% of attendees state the deciding factor to attend is obtaining maximum number of CEU's

In closing we truly were honored to lead an AMAZING team of individuals who made the 44th Annual TRI one to remember. Thanks to all those who were able to be part of the conference from attendees, speakers and our vendors. Special thanks to the PRPS office team for their behind the scenes support.

We look forward to seeing you in Lancaster!

Karen Hammond

Kirk Rakos

Special thanks to the 2012 TRI Labyrinth Sponsors

Good News Consulting and V-Tree

By: Peggy Coyle-Hedrick

Lee National Denim Day

Wear Jeans to Work to Raise Money to Fight Breast Cancer

Riddle Village joined together for a very special "casual Friday" to help Lee National Denim Day celebrate 17 years of fighting breast cancer. On Friday October 5th, Riddle Village geared up to participate in this grassroots program which has raised more than $86 million for breast cancer research by simply asking the nation to put on their jeans, and donate the money they'd spend on a new pair to the Women Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Funds raised from participation in 'Denim Day' will support various breast cancer research institutions and support communities. Last year, Riddle Village raised $435 for this cause on Denim Day. Many people's lives are touched by cancer in some way. The goal is to raise money in the honor of those we know that are fighting the disease and those we have lost to breast cancer. All moneys raised are donated to Lee National Denim Day.

On Denim Day employees are permitted wear jeans and asked to donate $5 to help fight breast cancer. To learn more about the exciting projects funded by Denim Day, please visit Denimday.com.

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• In 2011, an estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 57,650 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• About 2,140 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2011. A man's lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
• From 1999 to 2005, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. decreased by about 2% per year. The decrease was seen only in women aged 50 and older. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women's Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
• About 39,520 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2011 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1990 - especially in women under 50. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
• White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. However, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer.
• In 2011, there were more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the US.
• A woman's risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
• About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one's mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age (before menopause). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations.
• In men, about 1 in 10 breast cancers are believed to be due to BRCA2 mutations, and even fewer cases to BRCA1 mutations.
• About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
• The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

[Source: Breastcancer.org]