From the Desk of Samantha Guild

It’s hard to believe that we’re nearing the holiday season and the end of 2020. It’s been such a tumultuous year, both personally—with my mother and AIM’s founder, Val Guild, passing away—and globally—with COVID-19. But here at AIM, we have only strengthened our commitment to our mission, and we’re looking forward to 2021.

For 17 years, Thanksgiving in the Guild family has been a time both to mourn and to renew our commitment to our cause. My sister Charlie died of melanoma 17 years ago this month, when she was 26 years old. My mother founded AIM in her grief but nonetheless with very specific goals in mind, to which we recommit every year at this time: funding global and collaborative research to find the cure while improving the lives of those melanoma affects.  AIM at Melanoma is even more dedicated to our work than before. We owe it to both Charlie and Val.

We’re excited to announce a new addition to our website: AIM at Melanoma’s online store called the Black Ribbon Boutique will launch on November 27, 2020. So many of you have asked over the years how you can buy t-shirts and other items with our melanoma slogans and messages emblazoned on them. Now you can!

Look for our second annual No Show Gala invitation, which will arrive on Giving Tuesday. A No Show Gala was our idea last year to encourage our supporters to give without all the fuss of a real gala (not that those aren’t fun!). Now, in the time of COVID, it’s an ever more appropriate gala, so we’re excited to offer this fun opportunity again. We hope you’ll participate!

Dr. Kim Margolin has written another informative In Plain English article for us, this one on neo-adjuvant therapy in melanoma. Thank you to those of you who have reached with compliments on this series—we’re glad they’re valuable, and yes, we intend to continue the series! We’ve passed on your compliments to Dr. Margolin.

And finally, make sure you read two great survivor stories: Stephanie Bowen, a Stage IV melanoma survivor, and Tom Lauritzen, a Stage III melanoma survivor. We hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as we have.

Sam Guild
President
AIM at Melanoma Foundation