On the Forefront – Multiple Choices

Kleinschmidt Health & Wellness

CLEAVAGE CREEK WINERY

Typical winery websites describe the vineyards, the winemaker, the wines, and the tasting room. The navigation bar on Cleavage Creek Winery’s website (www.cleavagecreek.com) includes a link titled “Choices” that takes you to a section
dedicated to those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The Choices section is designed to help women take control of their health, from prevention to choosing a doctor or treatment facility to alternative treatments and the latest developments in research and technology.

Cleavage Creek owner Budge Brown himself turned to naturopathic medicine, Chinese herbs, and exercise when he developed a tumor. Within three months, the tumor disappeared. But his real purpose behind the winery is to help women avoid the fate of his wife, Arlene, who died of breast cancer in November 2005. He donates 10 percent of gross proceeds to breast cancer research. Since the inaugural 2007 release, Cleavage Creek has donated more than $72,000. Its grant to Bastyr University in Seattle, Wash., made possible the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center, which opened in February 2009.

Bastyr University is the country’s largest university for natural health arts and sciences. The research center is measuring the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine on cancer patients. Treatment options include mind/body medicine, acupuncture, botanical medicine, and nutritional support. Of the 148 women who have been through the center, none have died.