Brenda Rider singing with R.O.C.c.K. Children's Choir at York Dinner

My older sister was given a guitar as present. I would take the guitar and watch Glen Campbell on TV once a week. During that show I taught myself how to play the guitar. Eventually I was good enough to play at church service and weddings. During this time I began writing songs that were appropriate for each Sunday service. I wish I'd have written them down or put them on tape. As it happens with many, I realized I'll never be able to make a living at my "hobby" (music), so I went on to became a Police Officer in Austintown, Ohio for five years and into the business my Dad founded. Between the two jobs I worked about 70 hours seven days a week. In 1993 my father decided to retire. I resigned from the police department to purchase the business and continue the family tradition.

May 13, 1999 I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer by accident. It was found when I took a friend for a mammogram (she was 50). I went along for moral support and told her I'd go first because it was no big deal to me. I was 37 and had had no history or problems. That's how mine was discovered and her fear saved my life.

Because I'm a busy body and not a big TV watcher, I found a way to pass the time between surgery, chemo and radiation. I pulled my guitar out and began playing and writing music again. I knew I'd never make a living at it, but I could make a life with it. I personally am not blessed with a very good singing voice, but I believe all children are. I started writing songs appropriate for kids with cancer to sing to express the positive reasons why we've been touched by cancer. The response from kids and families has been fantastic and that's how the R.O.C.c.K. (Raising Our Commitment to Cancer Kids) Children's Choir was born. The second "C" is in lower case is to hopefully make cancer a small part of their lives overall. The choir officially got off the ground in 2002 with meeting each other, writing more songs, and practices.

In 2000 I started A Way With Words Foundation, incorporating it as a non-profit 501(c)3 in 2003. The non-profit foundation is dedicated to anyone who has been touched by cancer. If they have written a poem, song, prose or something to say, I collect them and publish their work in a book once a year. The amazing thing is the wide range of local poets spans ages 3 to 88 years old. It's wonderful to give someone their dream of being a published author at no cost to them. It's also wonderful because it's inspired so many to stay the course during the rough ride of cancer treatment.

The first book, There's Hope in What We Do, we released in 2005. This book includes work from me and over 30 other poets and artists. The second book published in 2006 is titled The "Gift" of Giving because a gift is not a gift till you give it away. Paul Warfield wrote the forward for the book, helping the A Way With Words Foundation raise funds for the next book. The authors in the "Gift" book range in ages from 2 to 89! The children who were too young to write drew pictures of hope and love. Sometimes I think they teach me more than I'll every teach them.

This past August (2007) we released our first professionally-produced R.O.C.c.K. Children's Choir CD with the help of Denise DeBartolo York. The pride and compassion she shares with the kids and me is amazing. She does indeed practice the "gift" of giving.

--- Brenda M. Rider, October 18, 2007
Updated 28 January 2011

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A Way With Words Foundation, Inc. (AWWWF) is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation dedicated to raising money for cancer research and for the support of kids touched by cancer. All donations are tax deductible.