{"id":1351,"date":"2012-11-01T22:48:44","date_gmt":"2012-11-01T22:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/?p=1351"},"modified":"2012-11-03T17:22:16","modified_gmt":"2012-11-03T17:22:16","slug":"real-divas-ride-for-a-cure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/?p=1351","title":{"rendered":"Real Divas Ride For A Cure!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By David Smallwood &\u00a0<\/strong>Jan Emanuel-Costley<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Like pioneering Black motorcyclist Bessie Stringfield traveled cross-country delivering classified documents for the Army during World War II, Jan Emanuel-Costley today rides the nation\u2019s roads on her Harley to raise money for breast cancer research.<\/p>\n

For three years, Jan, who goes by her road name \u201cSunny The Diva,\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>has spearheaded annual motorcycle fundraising treks with fellow lady biking enthusiasts for her\u00a0non-profit organization, Divas For A Cure “DFAC”<\/strong>\u00a0(www.divasforacure.org<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n

The three rides have covered over 25,000 miles and raised $123,200<\/strong> for M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center<\/strong> in Houston, Texas.\u00a0 Harley-Davidson, the leading name in the motorcycle world, was the primary sponsor of the rides.<\/p>\n

Stringfield, the first Black woman to ride across America on a motorcycle, was 16 when she learned to ride, as was Emanuel, in Oakland, where she grew up.<\/p>\n

At 16, Emanuel was also diagnosed with a small cancerous cyst on her head that was removed, but returned later when she was 18, along with ear and jaw pain, and was removed again.<\/p>\n

At 22, Sunny found the lump between her armpit and breast, but the doctor at the hospital she called said not to worry, she was too young to have cancer and wait to have it checked out at her next gynecology appointment.<\/p>\n

After three months of pain, the lymph node area got inflamed and tender to the touch and when she called again, she says they said, oh, that\u2019s definitely not cancer because cancer doesn\u2019t hurt, and by the time cancer hurts, you\u2019re almost dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at work, but decided to just go to the emergency room anyway,\u201d says Emanuel.\u00a0 \u201cThe doctor said I needed to schedule a mammogram immediately.\u00a0 The look on his face was tragic.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the mammogram he walked in and said you have breast cancer and we need to schedule you for a mastectomy.\u00a0 His bedside manner left a lot to be desired.\u00a0 I told him I was only 22, I came in the world with two breasts and I\u2019m going to leave the world with two breasts, and you better figure out how to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emanuel joined a study using newly developed laser techniques in conjunction with her hospital. The treatment worked, her breast was saved, and she hasn\u2019t had a problem with it since.<\/p>\n

\"SunnyBut Sunny, now 51 and married with four adult children, says her positive outcome was a result of early detection and her persistence that something was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to statistics, White women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, while minority women are more likely to die,\u201d Sunny says.\u00a0 \u201cBlack women normally take too long to do follow-up, to get tested, don\u2019t have adequate medical insurance, and we\u2019re not educated.\u00a0 We\u2019re definitely not pro-active and it\u2019s still a hush-hush kind of disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Emanuel turned 28, she went into cardiac arrest and had a stroke.\u00a0 An aunt, Mary Clemons<\/strong>, who was also her godmother and with whom she lived for part of her adolescent life, was her caregiver during this period.<\/p>\n

Sunny says, \u201cMy aunt came over and took care of me, changed my bandages, helped me use the bathroom, nursed me back to health, cooked, helped me with the kids, made sure I went for my checkups \u2013\u2013 the whole nine yards \u2013\u2013 but never once did she say she was sick herself.\u00a0 When she finally told us something was wrong, she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctors said the cancer she had was 95 percent curable had she caught it early, but it had advanced from her breast to her arm into her neck and into her brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jan was in the room with her aunt when she died.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a life-altering experience,\u201d she recalls. \u201cAt around the same time, someone dared me to ride my motorcycle across country.\u00a0 I said, not only will I ride across the country, I\u2019ll get some other women to ride with me to raise money and we\u2019ll donate it to a cancer foundation for research in my aunt\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AEmanuel says she picked the M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center in Houston, Texas to receive donations because they a<\/strong>re leaders in cancer research (currently ranked number one in the nation) and in treating minorities, especially African American women.\u00a0 <\/strong>M.D. Anderson graciously agreed to name an exam room in its breast cancer center in honor of Divas For A Cure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Emanuel in 1999 started her website, www.RealDivasRide.com<\/a><\/strong>, as an online motorcycle forum for women interested in the activity.\u00a0 That site spawned www.DivasForACure.org<\/a><\/strong>, which provides information on the annual rides.<\/p>\n

Because she rides a Harley, Sunny approached the company to ask for their support, and they obliged. (On her website there\u2019s a section titled \u201cWhy A Harley?\u201d followed by a one-sentence answer, \u201cIf I have to explain it, you wouldn\u2019t understand.\u201d)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very excited about supporting their ride for the third year and supporting their initiatives to increase awareness and prevention of breast cancer; it\u2019s a tremendous cause for us,\u201d says Harley-Davidson spokesperson Karina Jaramillo. \u201cWe facilitate our relationship between the divas and many of our local dealers so they can come out to different dealerships during the course of their ride and do fundraising activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small group of women are selected to ride in the event each year.\u00a0 The inaugural ride in 2006 was 8,600 miles from San Francisco to New York and back in 22 days. Eight divas started, and Sunny was the only one who finished, but $25,000 was raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cI quickly found out you should limit cross-country riding to just a few divas,\u201d Sunny says.\u00a0 \u201cAnybody who calls themselves a Diva is going to probably have a personality, so with eight divas, there were some conflicts. Mix hot weather, motorcycles and long distances, and it becomes volatile, especially over 22 days.\u201d<\/p>\n

She repeated the event in 2007 to prove that the initial success was not a fluke.\u00a0 This ride, with five divas, went 7,300 miles from Oakland to Maryland and back, and raised $50,000.<\/p>\n

The 2008 ride \u00a0was 6,000 miles from New Jersey, down to Atlanta, up to Canada and back, and raised $35,000.\u00a0 There were only four divas riding this time \u2013 Costley, the organization\u2019s vice president AJ Coffee, Cynthia Marcy, and Elaine Thomas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very hard ride,\u201d Sunny explains.\u00a0 \u201cMost people when they sign up think of a nice little leisurely cross-country tour \u2013 make stops, take pictures, shop.\u00a0 It\u2019s not like that.\u00a0 After riding all day, all you\u2019re looking for is a shower and pillow at Motel 6, Motel 4, even Motel 2 \u2013 you don\u2019t care at that point!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"USBCF,<\/p>\n

The divas ride almost 500 miles a day, between 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to avoid nighttime riding hazards, and have to keep to a strict timetable to honor their Harley-Davidson dealership appearances.<\/p>\n

They are accompanied by members of the Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle club \u2013\u2013 Sunny is married to the former national president of the organization, Thomas Costley \u2013\u2013 and they are followed by a support van that carries their clothes, supplies, and food.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople sign up to ride with us for a leg or two and they pay a registration fee, but after a (short) while, they\u2019re like, \u2018this is crazy, this ain\u2019t no fun! All we\u2019re doing is riding and sleeping!\u2019\u00a0 But I say, \u2018And raising<\/strong> money!\u2019\u00a0 That\u2019s the important thing,\u201d Emanuel says.<\/p>\n

It is very taxing on the body and finances to maintain an annual cross-country motorcycle trek, so in 2010 Emanuel and Divas For A Cure took some time off from the annual breast cancer run to recoup and reorganize.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Barb\u2019s Harley-Davidson is a woman-owned dealership in Mt. Ephraim, NJ.\u00a0 Barb and her staff actively support the community on all fronts. They were\u00a0diligent\u00a0in their efforts to help support Divas For A Cure and in 2010 took up the helm to support them on a local level.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Barb kicked-off the First Annual Barb\u2019s Harley-Davidson Divas For A Cure Breast Cancer Ride<\/strong> to help continue the efforts.<\/p>\n

\"Sue,<\/p>\n

It is with the united efforts of Barb, her staff and the motorcycle community that DFAC can continue to make a difference.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Sunny found another lump, so without hesitation she\u00a0sought\u00a0medial advice from a Breast Surgeon.\u00a0 The surgeon determined that a lumpectomy would be necessary. Her advice was simple. Let\u2019s not fool around with this. The surgery was slightly delayed due to a pre-existing heart condition.\u00a0 The surgeon removed four growths and surrounding tissue.\u00a0 The pathology report came back \u2013 \u201call margins clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jan<\/p>\n

The surgery was a success and Emanuel was back on her iron horse in no time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"BigAnd yes, it\u2019s 2012 and she is still rolling. \u00a0 Emanuel averages about 7 \u2013 10,000 miles a year on her iron horse.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, if a woman on a bright red Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic with pink bling on her helmet passed you on the highway – it was probably \u201cThe Diva.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By David Smallwood &\u00a0Jan Emanuel-Costley Like pioneering Black motorcyclist Bessie Stringfield traveled cross-country delivering classified documents for the Army during World War II, Jan Emanuel-Costley today rides the nation\u2019s roads on her Harley to raise money for breast cancer research. For three years, Jan, who goes by her road name \u201cSunny The Diva,\u201d\u00a0has spearheaded annual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,45,48,33,21,43,1],"tags":[59,60,26,61,64,65],"class_list":["post-1351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dfac-breast-cancer-fundraiser","category-dfac-breast-cancer-motorcycle-run","category-dfac-cross-country-breast-cancer-motorcycle-run","category-dfac-media","category-in-the-community","category-survivor","category-uncategorized","tag-barbs-h-d","tag-breast-cancer-ride","tag-dfac","tag-njbsmc","tag-sunny-the-diva","tag-usbcf-jan-emanuel-costley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1351"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1411,"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351\/revisions\/1411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realdivasride.com\/dfac\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}