by David McAlpine

As reality stars from across the country geared up for last weekend's Reality Rally race around Temecula, several took a chance to reflect on the real meaning of the weekend: breast cancer education and awareness. Whether they were a survivor themselves of cancer, had a family member or a loved one affected by it, or simply knew of someone, the cause was front and center on everyone's minds.

I got the chance to talk one-on-one with several of the Rally's participants about their reasons for participating in the event and their connection to the cause.



Gillian Larson
Survivor: Gabon
Organizer, Reality Rally

"After I was booted from my game of Survivor, I realized that from my eight year quest to get on the show that the reason I wanted to get on Survivor was because I wanted a platform to be able to do more with it after the game.

"After I was booted, I came up with an idea to encompass reality stars from a variety of shows and bring them to my town, which I love, because Temecula is a great community, family-friendly, very involved, and highlight everything that Temecula has to offer: the wine country, the hot-air balloon industry, the gunslingers, the theatre, the international film festival, the Saturday market, the military, everything.

"Michelle's Place is a wonderful charity because they provide low-cost and no-cost services. They refer people to get mammograms, they cover mammograms, they have doctors that provide services for nothing or a minimal charge, they have counseling groups and support groups, too. Their services are really awesome and they rely completely on fundraising, grants or any type of funds they can get, so to help them out is a great opportunity."



Ragan Fox
Big Brother 12

"I've had a few people in my life very recently, actually, that have died as a result of cancer, so this is a good cause. There are a lot of reality events that bring reality people together just to kind of party or it's more of an ego-driven, crazy event, so I promised myself that if I do an event, there needed to be a reason beyond just seeing other reality people. Since coming out of the [Big Brother 12] house, I think this is the most representative of that.

"I'm one of those people where if I find out one of my friends is diagnosed with cancer, I kind of go into denial. And I don't think denial is all about ignoring a reality, it's about rationalizing a reality that's right in front of your face…I thought to myself that time is forever, it's infinite. You know, I'm going to have all the time in the world to get around to this people and I'm sure this person will beat the odds. So, I think an event like this, for everyone participating in it, is kind of that opportunity to go back and make investments that we're not always in a headspace to do when our loved ones and friends are diagnosed."



Scout Cloud Lee
Survivor: Vanuatu

"I'm really happy to share my own experience and cheer people on because it affects every family in America in some way, every family in a lot of places. I know what it is to get the news. When I was diagnosed over 20 years ago, I was literally told in the presence of 3 or 4 of my best friends that I had two months to live. The type of cancer that I had, there really was no treatment for it, and my doctor told me to get my life in order.

"I have a belief that if people talk a whole lot about it and keep putting it out there, we might be attracting it, because things come when you call their name. I always talk about it as a growth period during my life because you would never know otherwise unless you've had the experience that someone has diagnosed you and told you that you're going to die--that moment is truly life-altering."



Jordan Pious
Winner, The Amazing Race 16

"The world works in funny ways and my very best friend in this world who I actually applied to be on The Amazing Race first with, so the very first time I got involved in reality television, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January and just had a double mastectomy in March and she's extremely young. While I was already committed to this event prior to having this personal connection, there's even more reason for me to be here and I'm more involved emotionally.

"It's been a tough couple months for her and for me and it means a lot to be involved. The good news is that she's completely cancer free new and she's on the road to, hopefully, a fast recovery, so this is a special event to be a part of. I know she's especially excited about it and she'll be cheering me on."



Ashley Trainer
Survivor: Samoa

"My grandpa just passed away last July and we had no idea that he had colon cancer because he wouldn't go to the doctor! Cancer in general is such a good cause to be a part of because so many people are affected by it. And, I'm a woman, so it could hit me, you never know!

"I was really excited when I found out that we were able to personally get donations from people. I reached out to my family and friends and they were all very giving, and they all chipped in. I also posted on Facebook and Twitter and I had some Facebook friends donate a fair amount, and I also wrote on my Facebook and offered to call people and chat about Survivor. So, I called a couple fans and we both ended up benefiting from it!"



Russell Swan
Survivor: Samoa

"I can't think of a man on the plane that doesn't have some connection with breast cancer either directly or indirectly. I've had two good friends, one of who was diagnosed with stage two and the other one who was diagnosed with stage one [breast cancer]. So when Gillian invited me and I read more about Michelle's Place and what they do, why they where founded, who Michelle was and the things they provide, I knew it was a great opportunity to give back.

"I've got a wife that I love, I've got a daughter that I love, I've got a mother that I love and this issue touches so many areas of my life in terms of people that I love and I know that getting involved really was a no-brainer."

(Photos courtesy of CBS)

Follow David on Twitter: @DavidMcAlpine

To find out more about the event's charity, Michelle's Place, visit their website.

To find out how to participate in next year's Reality Rally, visit their website.