http://www.clearlycommunitymke.com/august.html

Sunday August 23

http://www.waukeshanow.com/userstoriessubmitted/52013872.html

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/living/articles/loveforlifebenefit.html

Becee Smith-Kujawa, a singer and songwriter, was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer earlier this summer.

By Maureen Post OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Maureen Post

Published Aug. 15, 2009 at 4:32 p.m.

Tags: love for life benefit, keith pulvermacher, oconomowoc, marilynn mee, cancer benefit

The Morning Blend Interview on Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Click the link to view the interview:

http://www.themorningblend.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1474/xmid/35048/Default.aspx

 http://www.livinglakecountry.com/oconomowocfocus/news/52541812.html?ref=jsonline

Letter to Ellen: Sent to Editor!!

Dear Editor: July 20th, 2009

I am writing this letter to share with the community an opportunity to offer support to one of our own. A dear friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; she is a 41 year old non smoker. This diagnoses came as a surprise to use all, three months after the diagnoses she has began chemotherapy. My friend Beccee Smith-Kujawa is a fighter and we all know that she is a survivor – please join us on Sunday August 23rd to celebrate life with Beccee at the "Love for Life Benefit".

As a community we have an amazing opportunity to make Beccee's Benefit "Love for Life" a NATIONAL event! We are asking you and everyone you know to take just a few moments and write a short letter to Ellen DeGeneres of THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW asking her to PLEASE come to Beccee's benefit!!

Please share with Ellen Beccee’s story. Beccee Smith-Kujawa attended Waukesha North high school and after graduation, she was named Waukesha County’s Fairest of the Fair. At age 19 she joined her first band touring the Midwest. By 1989 she was singing locally with Milwaukee’s own Gerard and was a main singer in many other local bands until the mid 90’s. In 1996, after marrying local Milwaukee singer, Ron Kujawa, they moved to Los Angeles where they resided for seven years. In 2004 they relocated back to Wisconsin to raise their two daughters. Since returning to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Beccee has spent many hours volunteering her time at the Waukesha Women’s Center (a shelter for homeless and abused women/children) and as a member of the Crosspoint Community Church Worship Band.

Please write Ellen and ask her to attend the "Love for Life Benefit for Beccee Smith-Kujawa". This benefit is an example of artists supporting artists and as a comedian we would love to have Ellen visit us! Please join us – the friends of Beccee in writing Ellen a quick email about our "Love for Life Benefit." Ellen will not be able to say "No" to 100’s of email letters from Wisconsin! Please go to http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=10 to email Ellen about Beccee. To volunteer to help with this event please contact me at youcanhelp@smith-kujawa.org .

Sincerely Yours,

Laura Kiley,

Love for Life Benefit Coordinator

City of Oconomowoc

Press Release: Save the Date! For Immediate Release: 7/21/2009 - Tuesday, July 21, 2009

OCONOMOWOC WI, JULY 21ST,2009:   Do you know someone whose life has  been touched by cancer?  Have you or your family experienced the roller coaster of emotions and challenges associated with cancer?  If you are a cancer survivor or if your life has been touched by cancer, you are invited to join us on Sunday August 23 to celebrate life!  The “Love for Life Benefit for Beccee Smith-Kujawa” is being organized by the friends of the Smith-Kujawa family.  This family friendly event will run from 10am until 8pm and the festivities will be located at Roosevelt Field and Park (located at 700 S. Main Street, Oconomowoc WI 53066).  A 100% of all proceeds generated at this benefit will go to the Smith-Kujawa family in order to cover the mounting medical bills for Beccee’s treatment.

Beccee Smith-Kujawa is an Oconomowoc resident, professional artist (singer/song writer), wife and mother of two loving daughters.   Currently Beccee is undergoing chemotherapy for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.    Even when Beccee is having a rough go of it (during chemotherapy) she has declared with steadfast resolved, that she will prevail over the cancer.  Beccee is a 41 year old non smoker who has actively given back to the greater Oconomowoc community through volunteer activities with the Oconomowoc Newcomers and Neighbors club, Waukesha Women’s Center, Band Aid for Amy Fundraiser and the Crosspoint Community Church Worship Band.    

Long time artist friends, family members and Oconomowoc neighbors and friends of the Smith-Kujawa family are working together to plan the “Love for Life Benefit”.  The event activities include; live music, family friendly live entertainment, beer and wine tent, bounce houses, educational demonstrations, Oconomowoc children’s Idol contest, silent and live auction, local merchant’s services and products and much more! 

 To learn more about this event please go to www.smith-kujawa.org .   If you would like to volunteer to help with this event, or donate items/services to be auctioned off or if you are an artist that would like to participate please contact Laura Kiley at youcanhelp@smith-kujawa.org.   

To follow Beccee’s story please go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/beccee  and if you would like to be an angel donor please send your donations to The Beccee Smith- Kujawa Fund, c/o First Business Bank, P.O. Box 1970, Brookfield WI 53008-9822.

Friends and family rally for loved one

By Erin Lamb

Posted: Aug. 5, 2009 3:22 p.m.

enlarge photo

SUBMITTED PHOTO

BENEFIT PLANNED – The community is rallying to support Oconomowoc resident Beccee Smith-Kujawa who is battling advanced stage lung cancer. A benefit will be held Aug. 23 to raise money for Smith-Kujawa’s medical bills. From left: Millie, Beccee, Emma and Ron.

 

 

Oconomowoc — Family and friends are rallying behind 41-year-old Oconomowoc resident Beccee Smith-Kujawa organizing an all-star music event and family fun day to benefit the non-smoker battling advanced stage lung cancer.

A wife and mother of two young girls, Smith-Kujawa is a professional singer and songwriter currently undergoing chemotherapy for Stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer and the medical bills are mounting.

Family, friends and fellow musicians are throwing an event to help a woman who actively gives back to the community. Smith-Kujawa volunteers for the Waukesha Women's Center, Band Aid for Amy fundraiser and with the Oconomowoc Newcomers and Neighbors club. She and husband Ron Kujawa also regularly sing in the Crosspoint Community Church Worship Band.

The "Love for Life Benefit for Beccee Smith-Kujawa" will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 23 at Roosevelt Field and Park located at 700 S. Main St. featuring live music, children's entertainment, food and beverages from area establishments, as well as live and silent auctions.

A Waukesha North High School graduate, Smith-Kujawa has performed on Ed McMahon's Talent Search and toured with artists like Eric Benet and Keedy as well as local bands including Mirage, the Brian McLaughlin Band, HippiChicks, the Funk Mob, The Eddie Butts Band and more.

Performing with Smith-Kujawa in the early '90s and reconnecting years later, Keith Pulvermacher, now a guitarist with The LoveMonkeys, felt compelled to help Smith-Kujawa, he said.

"My heart really goes out to the little girls," said Pulvermacher, who has two young girls of his own. "I could connect with it being another musician and struggling to get insurance."

Co-leading the benefit with Smith-Kujawa's friend Laura Kiley, Pulvermacher connected with fellow musicians to create an all-star music event.

"I knew I could leverage my situation in The LoveMonkeys and my relationship with other musicians in town to use it to do something good for someone else," said Pulvermacher. "Everybody can connect with cancer. I just could relate to the fear of it, the uncertainty of it, and I knew I could do something."

When Kiley found out Smith-Kujawa had cancer, she knew she too had to help.

"I had cancer myself last year so I connect with Beccee on that level being a mom, a wife … knowing the feeling," said Kiley.

Kiley said Smith-Kujawa has resolved to overcome cancer and the organizers have plans to continue this event for years helping others.

"She's probably the most positive, optimistic person I've ever met," said Kiley. "She's absolutely amazing."

Organizers built an event that is sure to entertain all ages. There will be musical performances by the The LoveMonkeys, The Rhythm Kings and The Eddie Butts band. Children's entertainment includes a Hannah Montana Hoe Down workshop and performance as well as a Children's Idol Contest.

Auction items will include signed sports memorabilia, 10 tickets for the Brewers suite and VIP parking passes, Florida and Mexico vacations, guitar lessons by Pulvermacher, a private wine tasting, electric guitars and more. In addition, the event will offer drop-off childcare services, a softball tournament, massages and a children's activity tent. Marilynn Mee of KLH will emcee a portion of the event and live auction.

For more information, visit www.smith-kujawa.org.

News Release

LOVE FOR LIFE BENEFIT FOR BECCEE SMITH-KUJAWA: SAVE THE DATE

It was a routine doctor's visit that proved to deliver incredibly bad news. Becee Smith-Kujawa, a singer/songwriter and Oconomowoc resident, saw her physician for a nagging cough that resulted in the discovery of three masses in her lungs. A non-smoker, she was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in early June.

Now, three months into her treatment, her friends, family and the Oconomowoc community are coming together for the "Love for Life Benefit" on Aug. 23.

An all day event, "Love for Life Benefit" activities include a softball tournament, kid's activities like a Hannah Montana Hoe Down workshop, silent auction and live auction.

""Love for Life" was the vision of Keith Pulvermacher, a local musician, friend and former bandmate of Beccee's. After he found out that Beccee had been diagnosed with cancer, he started the ball rolling; reaching out to his contacts and seeking support for a benefit to raise money to help Beccee and her family," says Cari Cody, benefit organizer and friend of Smith-Kujawa.

The "Oconomowoc Idol" contest operates the same as the beloved "American Idol," with talent groups for 1-11 years old kids and 12 to 17 year old teens. The winner of the teen "Idol" talent will get the opportunity to sing an opening song for the Love Monkeys performance.

"Beccee doesn't listen to the statistics. She has made it clear from the beginning she is a fighter and is going to beat her stage III lung cancer. Her optimistic attitude is contagious. She's chosen life. She's a wife, a daughter, a mother, a musician, an active member of the Crosspoint Community Church as well as a volunteer for many charitable organizations," Cody explains.

And like any good festival, the park will be plentiful with tasty eats and local music. Food vendors include a pig roast and full barbeque with hot dogs, brats and burgers. Live music runs throughout the day with performances by Keith Pulvermacher and Micheal Sean, The Rhythm Kings, the Eddie Butts Band and the Love Monkeys.

"There is no admission to the "Love for Life" event; 100% of the proceeds from the event will go directly to the Beccee Smith-Kujawa fund," Cody explains.

To add personality to a plethora of activity, Marilynn Mee of 96.5 WKLH will be the MC of the event.

"There should be an awareness for paying it forward and helping those in our community that need our help. We don't plan on ending our awareness with the "Love for Life Benefit"; future events are already in the works. Our wish is that down the road Beccee will be cancer free and we will be able to use our resources to help another member of the community who needs our help," Cody explains.


The "Love for Life Benefit" takes place Aug. 23 at Roosevelt Field and Park, 700 S. Main St., in Oconomowoc.

Love for Life Benefit for Beccee Smith-Kujawa

Submitted By Laura Kiley

Posted: July 29, 2009

enlarge photo

 

Do you know someone whose life has been touched by cancer? 

Have you or your family experienced the roller coaster of emotions and challenges associated with cancer? 

If you are a cancer survivor or if your life has been touched by cancer, you are invited to join us on Sunday, August 23, to celebrate life! The “Love for Life Benefit for Beccee Smith-Kujawa” is being organized by the friends of the Smith-Kujawa family.

This family friendly event will run from 10 am until 8 pm and the festivities will be located at Roosevelt Field and Park (located at 700 S. Main Street, Oconomowoc WI 53066).

A 100% of all proceeds generated at this benefit will go to the Smith-Kujawa family in order to cover the mounting medical bills for Beccee’s treatment.

Beccee Smith-Kujawa is an Oconomowoc resident, professional artist (singer/song writer), wife and mother of two loving daughters. Currently Beccee is undergoing chemotherapy for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Even when Beccee is having a rough go of it (during chemotherapy) she has declared with steadfast resolved, that she will prevail over the cancer. Beccee is a 41 year old non smoker who has actively given back to the greater Oconomowoc community through volunteer activities with the Oconomowoc Newcomers and Neighbors club, Waukesha Women’s Center, Band Aid for Amy Fundraiser and the Crosspoint Community Church Worship Band.

Long time artist friends, family members and Oconomowoc neighbors and friends of the Smith-Kujawa family are working together to plan the “Love for Life Benefit”.

The event activities include; live music, family friendly live entertainment, beer and wine tent, bounce houses, educational demonstrations, Oconomowoc children’s Idol contest, silent and live auction, local merchant’s services and products and much more!

To learn more about this event please go to www.smith-kujawa.org . If you would like to volunteer to help with this event, or donate items/services to be auctioned off or if you are an artist that would like to participate please contact Laura Kiley at youcanhelp@smith-kujawa.org.

To follow Beccee’s story please go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/beccee and if you would like to be an angel donor please send your donations to The Beccee Smith- Kujawa Fund, c/o First Business Bank, P.O. Box 1970, Brookfield WI 53008-9822.