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If we gave you a picture, showed you her face, and told you she has BREAST CANCER ... ... how far would you walk to SAVE HER LIFE? |
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For me, that question was quite simple to answer. As far as I had to. AVON presented me with a challenge as well as an opportunity to be part of something HUGE. To raise money for the awareness and early detection of BREAST CANCER. This way, I might be able to give to others what my mother had received ... A FIGHTING CHANCE. In October of 1999, Avon, in partnership with Palotta Teamworks, held the first annual Atlanta 3Day. The Avon Breast Cancer 3Day, already making millions in other cities across the country, chose to include Atlanta in its fund-raising efforts. In 1999, more than 2500 incredible individuals teamed up as walkers and crew members to make the Atlanta 3Day a very successful experience. I was lucky enough to be one of those walkers. I walked, I laughed, I cried and I made many, many friends along the way. Not only is this an annual event for Atlanta, but I have made it an annual event for myself as well. I walked again in September 2000 with over 3300 participants, in October of 2001 with the numbers still growing, and once again in 2002!! And I'm still walking! Sadly, these events weren't available to me in 2003 and 2004, but I made up for it in 2005! In April, I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Inaugural Charlotte AVON Walk for Breast Cancer (AWBC)! A new 2-day event ... one that covers 39.3 miles. And I chose to do something new myself. I was part of the CREW! It was AMAZING! I got to be part of the behind-the-scenes action ... I was on the Incident Response team. Over $1 million raised in Charlotte. A per-participant ratio record! I enjoyed it so much ... I signed up to do it all again in New York City that October. Over $7 million was raised!! Being on the CREW and devoting my time and energy in a different way was truly uplifting. I learned so much about what it takes to put on an event of this caliber. The CREW works incredibly hard to keep it all together and all the walkers happy and healthy and ... well, walking! A week after the New York AWBC, I was again fortunate to be part of a *new city* to host one of these endurance walks. Tampa Bay, Florida was chosen as a new site for the Breast Cancer 3Day, now benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. WOW! It was incredible! Lacing up my shoes once again to walk the walk ... 60 more miles under my laces. FANTASTIC! $5.5 million raised for that event! It is so incredibly empowering to hear these number anounced at Closing Ceremonies. Each event making millions ... coming together with other events for a common goal. WE WILL SURVIVE!!! What happened in 2006??? Well ... I got pregnant! So, while I continued to fundraise for my walk commitments, (the AWBC in San Francisco, the Tampa Bay 3-Day and the AWBC in Charlotte, NC), traveling was out of the question. So, I waddled around town to rack up the miles for all my sisters who were walking around the country. 2007's challenge: to raise more money than ever before ... $20,000. The events this year are: AWBC in New York & Tampa Bay 3-Day & National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer I know that $20,000 is a lot, but I am determined and I feel that it can and WILL happen! So, think about making a donation to one of my walks (or run!), and passing along the info to others who may be interested in making a donation. I have made scrapbooks, pillows, photo albums, T-shirts and wall hangings as mementos of this amazing journey. One of my favorites is this online photo album. I want to share my experiences with as many people as possible. I want everyone to be aware of what so many people are doing to help with this cause. It is SERIOUS and we are making some SERIOUS money to go toward ... FINDING A CURE!!! |
2007 Walk Dates
You can't stop us from fighting this!
Photos from 2005 Events
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To visit pages from previous years ... click --->
Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
 New York October 6-7, 2007 |
Komen Breast Cancer 3Day
Tampa Bay October 19-21, 2007 |
National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer
Jacksonville, FL February 17, 2008 |
You can't stop us from fighting this!
Photos from 2005 Events
Click Ribbon
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To visit pages from previous years ... click --->