HEALTH

Sharing hope

Web site designed for those battling cancer

Cancer patients who have turned to blogs, YouTube and other Web sites to share their stories of survival have a new online community where they can connect with others battling the disease.

The American Cancer Society recently launched www.sharinghope.tv to give users a place to upload personal videos, audio, photos and artwork. The idea behind the site is to give people living with cancer a fun way to share their knowledge and provide encouragement to others.

To make it easier for newcomers to get started, there’s a user-friendly instructional video available online. The site also offers free background music that can be used by videomakers.

HOME

Do-it-yourselfers can win big

Everyone believes you when you say you weren’t trying to show off when you did all those extravagant home-improvement projects. But just in case you would like some well-deserved recognition, here’s a contest you can enter.

Better Homes and Gardens is taking submissions for the 2008 Home Improvement Challenge, sponsored by Wells Fargo and others. The contest honors creative home-improvement and remodeling efforts of any size in nine categories: additions, bath, decorating, exterior face-lifts, green improvements, kitchen, outdoor improvement, projects less than $5,000, and renovation.

The grand-prize winner of the challenge will receive $40,000 in cash and will be featured in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and on a national TV show. The prize for the winner of each category is $2,500 in cash.

You can see last year’s winner in the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens, on sale Aug. 19.

Entries will be accepted through Jan. 31.

Details: www.bhg.com/challenge.