Kris Carr's claim to fame was showing up as a Bud girl in a Super Bowl commercial.

That was before she was diagnosed with an incurable cancer at age 31, and decided that she was not going to let that end her free-spirited life. Instead, the photographer-actress made a film documenting her experiences, called "Crazy, Sexy Cancer," which has since aired on The Learning Channel, and published a companion book, "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips."

Carr, now 35, will be in town next month to help the Cancer Community Center ring in its 10-year anniversary. She'll be at a June 11 event at USM's Portland campus in Hannaford Hall at 7 p.m. While the event is free, seats are limited. To make a reservation, call 774-2200.

Here is Kris Carr sitting down with Oprah for an appearance last year. It runs about 8 minutes, so just watch to 4:03 if you're just interested in the trailer.

Then there's some couch time with the Big O, until the 6:00 mark. It ends with Oprah's protege, Dr. Mehmet Oz visting Carr at her home, and finding out her health secrets, which include juicing.

Oz: Oh, you didn't do it at all before?
Carr: No, I did martinis.

Maybe the loons don't speak to you – or the lobsters – but fighting breast cancer does.

You can express that with a new specialty plate coming out in October.

At least 2,000 people have already signed up to get a "pink ribbon" plate.

Meredith Strang Burgess, a GOP representative from Cumberland had to get that many people to place orders before she could present a bill creating the plate to the Legislature.

Each plate costs $20, with annual renewals costing $15.

With each plate, $10 will go to the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition’s Support Services Fund, the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund and the Maine Breast Cancer and Cervical Health Program’s Mammogram Fund. Another $10 will be donated for each annual renewal.

You may have seen these plates in your travels through other states like Arizona, Kansas and Ohio. Over in Massachusetts, more than 3,000 people have signed up for this:

So this is what I know about triathlons: they involve swimming, running and bicycling, and talking about it makes the few slow-twitch muscles I have ache.

Still, I'm intrigued by an event being billed as Maine's first all-women's triathlon. It's called Tri For A Cure, and it's a fundraiser for the Maine Cancer Foundation.

The race at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland is an abbreviated triathlon, or a “sprint” – a 1/3 mile swim, 12-mile bike and 3-mile run.

The event isn’t until Aug. 9, and the foundation hasn't even started its formal marketing campaign, but spots for this short-course, or "sprint," triathlon are filling up fast. More than 270 women already have registered to participate, leaving just 300 or so spaces.

Over the last two decades, women have become increasingly drawn to the challenge, says USA Triathlon, which reports that female membership has increased from 11 percent in the early 1990s to 29 percent in 2005.

But all-female triathlons aren't that commonplace, and the ones out there usually have to do with raising money for a cause, said race organizer and triathlete Julie Marchese.

Marchese, whose first triathlon was the all-women’s Danskin event in Webster, Mass., recommends female-only races for first-timers.

The atmosphere is a lot warmer and more relaxed, says Marchese. Lots of high-fiving going on.

“In a regular race, people are trying to win and trying to place in their division, and it’s much more goal-oriented,” Marchese said.

But hard-core competitors don’t have to stay away, Marchese adds. Just bring your novice friends along with you.

"I think triathlons are not as difficult as everyone assumes," encourages Martha Deprez, who has already signed up. "That makes it nice because you get a lot of credit for doing something that is possible."

You can sign up on-line here.

Registration is $75 or if you want to do a relay with two or three of your friends, it’s $50 a person.

Go ahead, jump!

Did you say melanoma? You'd be correct, according to the Melanoma Foundation of New England.

The deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma is getting diagnosed more often than ever thanks to greater awareness about the disease among patients.

In Maine, new cases have climbed from 380 in 2005 to 410 in 2007, says the American Cancer Society. That's no surprise if you look at demographics, said Sue Clifford, a spokeswoman for the cancer society.

The Pine Tree state is one of the whitest in the country, and "melanoma is primarily a disease for white people," Clifford said. "The rates are more than 10 times more for Caucausians than other ethnicities."

The incidence is also rising because Maine is the oldest state in the union.

"The older you are, the more exposure you have had to the sun," Clifford said.

Said Diane Peterson, who co-chairs the state's Skin Cancer Task Force: "People used to go lay out on the black tar roof and spread on baby oil in the 1960s, and 1970s. Now these people are in their 50s, and 60s."

To meet the growing need, the Cancer Community Center in South Portland is launching its first melanoma support group. It will meet the fourth Tuesday of each month, starting next week.

To learn more about the support group, visit the Cancer Community Center or call 774-2200.

For more information on melanoma, log onto the Melanoma Foundation of New England Web site or visit the American Cancer Society.