Let your life be an anthem of hope. That was the message heard Thursday as some Blair County residents gathered for the United We Can Luncheon.

The group  welcomed a woman who’s been in the national spotlight as a semi-finalist on “the Voice” and “the Biggest Loser.” Erin Willett shared the lessons she’s learned from both shows and talked about why she’s an advocate for pancreatic cancer.

Erin didn’t come to Altoona just to talk, she also came to inspire with her music with songs like “Hope’s Alive,” and “Out of the Darkness.”

She lost her father to pancreatic cancer when she was 22 and says the experience really helped shape  her life.

Erin’s an advocate for pancreatic cancer and uses the talent for singing and music that she got from him, to share a message of hope.  

“I guess my message today is that hope is not passive, hope is an action.  Usually, we just hope for things, but we need to actually do the work to get where we need to go,” she said.

Erin drew in her audience with  her performance and her stories about her experiences.

The message she wanted to leave them with?

“We really shouldn’t be scared of living our life. A lot of  the time we get so caught up in the day to day that we forget to really explore new opportunities or just try something new,” she said.

 
Erin said the biggest lesson she learned on “the Voice” was not to be so hypercritical of her self.
As for her takeaway from “the Biggest Loser,”  it was eat your veggies and drink your water.