More than 11,100 U.S. women younger than 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. More than 1,100 will die.

Not trying to depress you, but trying to illustrate the need for young women to take the risk of breast cancer seriously. Don’t ignore a lump or other irregularity in your breast because you think you are too young for breast cancer.

My column in today’s Accent section of the Savannah Morning News is about the journey of a Wilmington Island woman diagnosed at 37, when her daughters were 7 and 4. Read the column here. She went on to form a local support group through the Young Survival Coalition for other young women facing breast cancer.

Learn more about the support group, which meets once a month on a Sunday (to accommodate working women), by attending the Pink Tea “Celebration of Life” , Sun., Sept. 7, 2-4 pm @ the Wilmington Island Club, 501 Wilmington Island Road. Tickets are $5 per person and must be purchased in advance. Purchase tickets by clicking here or call Susan Richardson at 912.897.3933 or srisland@aol.com.

Ladies of all ages are encouraged to attend and there will even be activities for young girls if you would like to include your daughters.

Tickets can also be purchased at the following spots:

Wilmington Island Golf Shop: 501 Wilmington Island Road, 912.897.1615

Transformation Station, Nancy N and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion, 912.819.8386

The Misty Marsh Shoppe, 7906 US 80 E, 912.898.9399

Merle Norman Studio, 216 Johnny Mercer Blvd # A, 912.897.5705

Colonial Quilts, 11710-A Largo Drive, 912.925.0055

Time to register for fall Kindermusik sessions, which start after Labor Day in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Wilmington Island, The Landings and Rincon.

Attention work-outside-the-home SouthernMamas who have difficulty finding weekend mommy-and-me activities: Saturday Kindermusik sessions will be offered in Savannah, starting Sept. 20!

Kindermusik classes are available for children ages 0 to 7. Classes are divided by age including the “Zoom Buggy and Dream Pillow” class for ages 0-20 months; “Milk and Cookies” for ages 18 months to 3.5 years; “Hello Weather, Let’s Play Together” for ages 3 to 5; and Family Time classes for newborns to 7 year-olds and the whole family.

Kindermusik also has a baby sign language class, “Sign and Sing,” for hearing children ages 6 months to 36 months and their parents. You and your child will learn over 150 signs to help you communicate.

Browse the local Kindermusik Web site and register for the Fall’08 session. Be sure to tell them SouthernMamas sent you!

kuuru shoes – the shoes you would wear if you were in your child’s shoes – is giving away a pair to a SouthernMamas subscriber.

kuuru shoes are designed to support babies and toddlers in their early walking years. The styles combine modern designs, bold colors, and thoughtful details to provide comfort and functionality for developing feet. kuuru literally means “cool” in Japanese.

The giveaway winner will be able to chose her favorite pair from a wide variety of styles, such as mary janes, sandals, sneakers, loafers, and t-straps. Click here to see the shoes.

Here’s how to win. One of the most frequent requests we receive @ southernmamas.com is moms seeking playgroups or other ways to meet moms. To be eligible for the giveaway, make a comment on this post about the best way to meet other moms with kids of similar ages of yours – specific playgroups, Web sites, activities or just general tips etc. If you are among those LOOKING for a playgroup, then your comment can be about what you want in a playgroup (location, age range, interests etc) so perhaps SouthernMamas can play matchmaker.

Don’t forget to tell us at least your first name.

Just click on “comment” below this post to make yours by 9 pm Thurs. Aug. 7. We’ll pick a name at random from the comments and announce the winner here Friday.

You have to be a SouthernMamas subscriber to participate. Subscribing is free. Click here to do so.

Looking for a soccer league for the kids?

Fall registration is under way with Savannah Celtic, a league that started with over 250 kids its first year and jumped to more than 500 two seasons later.

Savannah Celtic strives to keep the cost of its programs as affordable as possible so that as many children as possible can enjoy soccer. Started by two men from the United Kingdom, the premise of the club is to promote soccer locally to everyone, no matter of age, gender, race, ability or social demographic.

For more info and to register online, click here

The league is also always seeking coaches who’d like to make a contribution to the community by supporting local children. Interested in coaching? Call 912.495.9996

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again.

If you haven’t taken your toddler to the 10:30 am Thursday story time @ Bull Street Library with librarian Sha Dishong, then your child (and you) are missing out on a beloved part of growing up (and raising children) in our area.

Story time @ Bull Street for 0-2 year-olds (there’s also story and craft time 10:30 am Wednesdays for 3-4 year-olds) unfolds inside a cottage playhouse that looks like it’s right out of a Golden Book.

Sha is a pro at getting and keeping kids’ attention, even toddlers, with energetic choruses of “Hurry Up, Hurry Up, Drive that Fire Truck,” “Little Red Wagon” and standards like “Wheels on the Bus.”

You can read all about Sha and her job as children’s librarian in this recent Savannah Morning News article (photo by John Carrington, SMN). The woman obviously has found her calling: helping children share her love for books. Congrats Sha and thank you!

To find out about other story times in our area, click here.