Shamari  Brazile – Youth

Diagnosed at age 13 with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, Shamari Brazile didn’t rest on her situation. Wanting to play lacrosse. she contacted The Gathering Place (TGP), which offers free programs and services helping individuals and families cope with the impact of cancer. Participating in their yoga classes helped Brazile heal.

That experience encouraged her to want to help others. She is a founding member of TGP’s Emerging Leaders Council, a group that assists teens touched by cancer, in cultivating solid leadership skills. It started with four and has now grown to over 30 participants. She is an active outreach volunteer, helping to raise money for the Race for the Place – the primary TGP fundraiser. Brazile received an award for the most money raised by a teen.

“It’s important to have resources available to help people when they need it,” says Brazile about the programs offered at TGP. The teen activist educates others that teens can get cancer, survive and experience help through TGP’s services.  “I do this because I like seeing the impact my work has on others.”