3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer

As many o f you know, my daughter Danielle will be walking this year in the Atlanta 3-Day, a 60 mile walk to benefit the Susan Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer. My cousin, Julie and her friend are also walking. And now my good friend Jane Densmore and Danielle's friends Blakely and Christy have joined the "team".

In years past, I've done some walking myself to beneifit this cause and others. But I never knew anyone well who had breast cancer. Turns out that's a small miracle, because statistically if 8 of my friends over the age of 40 were together in a room, one of them would develop breast cancer. As I'm sitting here thinking of 7 women I love, I'm hoping I'm the one and only of our group who will go through this.

For those who you who were like me and didn't know a whole lot about the cause, here are some facts (I lifted them from the 3-Day Site) along with my own two cents:


1) The Breast Cancer 3-Day is a 60-mile walk for women and men who want to make a personal difference in the fight against breast cancer. Each 3-Day walker commits to fundraising, training and dedicating an entire weekend to the cause.

My Take: These women, men, (and teenagers!) are making a huge commitment. Do you know that they each have to raise a minimum of $2,200 for the privelege of taking 3 days away from work, school, family, and fun; then walking 60 miles and sleeping outside on the ground in a tent? Uh Huh. That's what I said. If they don't raise the minimum of $2,200, then they don't get to walk. Thanks to many of you, Danielle raised her minimum quickly. She set her goal at $3,000, and she's just about there. In days to come, I'll put links on this blog for Danielle's "teammates" for those of you who want to donate and haven't had the opportunity.

2) It is projected that the 2006 Breast Cancer 3-Day Series will generate millions of dollars to fund critical breast cancer research and community outreach programs.

My Take: My Oncologist (who is phenomenal by the way) told me that there is so much good data coming out of all the research (because of the Komen Foundation's fundraising--my emphasis) that she literally gets weekly updates on how to help patients.

3) 85 percent of the net proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a global leader in the fight against breast cancer whose mission is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.

4) 15% of the net proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefit the National Philanthropic
Trust Breast Cancer Fund, a special field of interest fund that will provide support for breast cancer initiatives including research, treatment, prevention and education.

What I know: The reason so much money goes directly to these good causes is because of the many volunteers who work like crazy to organize the events, get donations of food and shelter for the events, and do the nitty gritty hard work to make sure the walkers have everything they need, including a tent and toilet! My very good friend Carole will be working the crew along with our neighbor Michelle for whom Danielle babysits. These women will work from about 4 am daily till midnight every night of the walk and when they sleep, it'll be in their work truck. They'll awake to all sorts of tasks, including helping the walkers take down every tent in the village (3500 walkers, two to a tent, you do the math on how many tents that is to set up and take town daily!).

5) The Komen Foundation was founded in 1982 on a promise made between two sisters – Nancy Goodman Brinker and her dying sister, Susan Goodman Komen. Nearly 25 years later, the Komen Foundation is an international organization that fulfills its mission through a network of more than 75,000 volunteers working through more than 100 Affiliates in more than 15,000 communities to fund innovative breast cancer research and vital community outreach programs. Since inception, the Komen Foundation has invested more than $630 million in its four-prong mission of research, education, screening and treatment. For more information about the Komen Foundation and how to join them in the fight against breast cancer, visit www.komen.org, or call 1.800 I’M AWARE®. For information on the Foundation and the Breast Cancer 3-Day, visit www.komen.org/3Day.

What I know: The Foundation not only raises a ton of money for research, but it's a great resource for those of us who are fighting cancer. I visit the message boards on the Komen site daily to get support and provide caring to other women with breast cancer or who are afraid they may have it or who have family/friends who do. If you know someone who has cancer, tell them about the message board. I've talked to women all over the world who are going through the same treatments and it's an amazing opportunity to be helpful to someone else when you can - and get support when you feel like you can't fight anymore.

6) More than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year and more than 40,000 American women and men will lose their lives to the disease. One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes. Every 13 minutes, the disease claims another life in the United States.

What I know: I have no history of breast cancer in my family. Most of us believe that it's hereditary. Only 25% of breast cancers are hereditary. The rest, just happen. And from my experience, they can happen very quickly. I felt a lump. I Thought it was just another benign fibroid like the two I had previously - one at age 19 and one at age 44. I put it off 3 months. Then on April 27 my daughter, my precious child was in an auto accident that scared the heck out of me and made me think about the precious natue of life. So I called for a mammogram. Two weeks later, I was diagnosed. It's a God thing. I hate I waited so long that he had to get my attention.

My dear friends, do monthly breast exams. Take any change seriously. I don't care if you're a woman OR man. If you're 40 or 16. It takes one minute to check. Do it.

I love you all and am so thankful for your prayers, support, cards, food, gifts. I thank God daily for His provision through you.

Grace and Peace.....