
	May Queen Series 2005 Raised £500 (approx)
	Raising money for Research into Women's Cancers
*"Thanks to cancer research, more people than ever before are hearing the words 'all clear'.* Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in this country. Each year, there are nearly 41,000 new cases in the UK. This cancer accounts for almost one in three of all cancer cases in women, and the lifetime risk for breast cancer in women is one in nine. The good news is that – thanks to earlier detection and improved treatment - breast cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by a fifth in the last ten years." Please click here for more information about breast cancer Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women in the UK. Each year, there are around 6,900 new cases. Ovarian cancer develops in cells of the ovary. The ovaries are two almond shaped organs located on either side of the uterus (womb). They produce eggs and the female hormones that both regulate the menstrual cycle and are responsible for female body characteristics. About 9 in 10 ovarian cancers form in the cells that line the ovaries. Please click here for more information about ovarian cancer Cancer of the uterus is a fairly common type of cancer. It is the fifth most common cancer in women in the UK. Each year, there are around 6,000 new cases. Often, uterine cancer is relatively easy to treat. Please click here for more information about uterine cancer Each year, there are almost 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer in the UK, just 1% of new cases diagnosed. Although there is a higher chance to develop cervical cancer later in life, it is the second most common cancer in women under the age of 35. Please click here for more information about cervial cancer (Information quoted from the Cancer Research UK website)
Auctions start May 1st on eBay for a series of Beanies on the theme of May Day These include 3 May Queen Beanies and eight Maypole Dancers Each comes with a special tag (numbered accordingly) and a card as well as many extras for example the Cancer Research UK pin ribbon pin or one of a variety of other related accessories
This is truly an International Appeal to raise awareness of Women's Cancers with support and donations from people in several parts of the world. Some people have donated the Beanies and some the accessories, even down to the tiny beads used to decorate the costumes! April Dowling and her students in the USA Miho Yamamoto in Japan Heather Softley in Canada Orion in Japan Sakurako in Japan Setsuko in Japan Stef Probert in UK Trevor Bannister in UK Sue Owen in UK We hope that you will join us in our efforts to raise a worthwhile sum to help research into Women's Cancers Please click here to view photographs of the CHERISH May Queen Series 2005
May Day was an important day in the Middle Ages and was a favourite holiday of many English villages. People used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer. This is the origin of the maypole. People danced around them in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the fine weather that would allow planting to begin. The original maypoles were freshly felled trees, stripped of their branches, brought into the community and adorned with garlands and ribbons. The Maypole was originally a pagan fertility symbol. Part of the celebration was the crowning of a May Queen. When the sun rose, the maypole was decked with leaves, flowers and ribbons while dancing and singing went on around it. The Queen was chosen from the pretty girls of the village to reign over the May Day festivities. Crowned on a flower-covered throne, she was drawn in a decorated cart by young men or her maids of honor to the village green. She would be crowned there right on the green spot. She was set in an arbor of flowers and often the dancing was performed around her, rather than around the Maypole.