I turned on the TV this morning and there was so much coverage on the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. This cause event was held today in Balboa Park, the same place where the Memory Walk and many other cause walks take place. Susan’s story is quite amazing and you can read about it here. What is more amazing is what she did not just about herself, but for countless of other women – mothers, daughters, wives, aunts, grandmothers, best friends, cousins – who were and still are going through the same thing she did as a breast cancer patient.
According to Wikipedia, “Since its inception in 1982, Komen has invested over $1.5 billion for research, education and health services, making it the largest breast cancer charity in the world.” That to me is ah-mazing!
From the PennState Milton S. Hershey College of Medicine, “The breast cancer risk of a 25 year-old woman is only one out of 19,608; by age 45, it is one in 93. In fact, 80% of all breast cancers are found in women over age 50.” This is serious ladies. I know all us women love our boobies no matter what shape or size. I personally have learned to love mine even more since my Pinky has been breastfeeding for nearly ten months now.
Recently, my family and I participated in the Memory Walk to help raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease. We walked in honor of two grandmother’s in our family. From now on it will be an annual family tradition for those who wish to participate. I must say it feels good walking for a cause. It’s a win-win for everyone, you get to build camaraderie, you get to exercise, it is a great way to honor someone and support and affected loved one, and you get to build awareness for a cause that is important to you.
I thank God that no one in my immediate circle of friends or family have experienced breast cancer. After seeing all the amazing campaigns for the Komen Foundation, and breast cancer awareness in general, I thought to myself, there are already so many people supporting this cause that I don’t need to. Besides, I don’t know anyone who has breast cancer. I stopped myself right there…the truth is, there can never be enough help. And, you never know who will be affected by breast cancer next. It could be me, it could be you, or someone close to me. So the best thing to do is to support the cause no matter what, every little bit helps. More importantly we should all take care of ourselves and make sure we get scheduled for our regular check-ups! Be proactive when it comes to your health and your boobies!
Megan Powers, a friend and colleague of mine has raised nearly $15,000.00 for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer since she started participating just five years ago. She is on her way to being San Diego’s Top Donor! Her inspiration is a local San Diego woman named Stacy Matseas. Stacy is the #1 fundraiser in the nation having raised over $800k. Please visit Megan’s blog to read more about why she walks and be sure to go to her donation page to make a tax deductible donation. Again, every little bit counts. Now, Megan is now my inspiration to help raise more money and awareness for the Memory Walk next year.
In closing, I hope this post inspires readers to choose a cause that they can support and fight for. Don’t wait until something happens, as Nike says, Just Do It!
Thank you so much for the mention, Angela!! I do have to point out, though, that I support American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Komen is great, but I choose to support ACS 😉 It’s amazing that you said you don’t know anyone with breast cancer, but you actually DO know someone who has had it – Andi from ALLSTAR has battled it a few times and last I knew was going through some form of ongoing treatment. Thanks again and nice job on the blog!!!
I apologize! I will fix that. Thanks for pointing that out. And thanks for reading. I didn’t know, at least I don’t remember Andi having been affected. I remember her always being so healthy and active. I guess that’s another reason why we women need to get checked and support the cause – we can never really know who has it or who will get it. Thanks again Megan!