At the American Cancer Society Sole Burner 5K Run/Walk. City Park, Appleton | May 9, 2026
Cancer survivors and their supporters may create a personalized necklace, bracelet, or keychain incorporating a sterling silver survivor bead or our special golden bronze supporter bead with other leather or bead adornments. Jennifer Dins of Dins Designs (a breast cancer and ovarian cancer survivor) will lead the project. Sign your name on the special survivor and friend bead board to honor survivors.
Jennifer Dins Jennifer Dins is an Appleton resident with a master’s degree in management, training and organizational development. After a potentially terminal cancer diagnosis in 2006 permanently sidelined her 25 year management career, she decided to follow her creative heart as a silversmith and now works with and teaches a relatively new medium: METAL CLAY.
Metal Clays (made with reclaimed silver, gold, copper or bronze) are powdered metals mixed with a binder. When a green-ware silver metal clay piece is fired in a kiln, the organic clay binder burns completely away and it results in a finished jewelry piece composed of 96%-99% pure silver. The uniqueness of Metal Clay allows the addition of fingerprints, paw prints and even handwriting directly into the silver. Many of her customers are people who have lost someone and want to capture a piece of him or her within the silver of an heirloom piece.
Jennifer now believes it’s her calling to help these people through a particularly difficult time. She designed the Trout Museum’s SURVIVOR BEADS program which supports the American Cancer Society at the SOLE BURNER every spring. This program gives sterling silver and bronze “support/survivor beads” (all handmade by Jennifer) to those at the event. These beads bring hope and joy to those touched by the disease.
I love working with silver and sharing my knowledge with others who love the thought of working with metals!
