Two weeks ago, I participated in my first ever American Cancer Society Making Strides against breast cancer walk. It was something I had always wanted to do, and after walking the walk, I know it will be something I do each and every year. To say it was powerful, emotional, up-lifting…that would be an understatement. In fact, I’m not sure there are enough words to even capture how I felt that day.
Like many of us, I’ve had friends and loved ones diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of them under the age of 30! Did you know about 1 in 8 women get diagnosed with invasive breast cancer? That is such a scary statistic. But right now, there are also 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. thanks to more early detection, increased prevention and better treatment. We have The American Cancer Society to thank for that, as it leads the good fight by raising awareness in communities across the country and investing in ground-breaking research to ensure that we keep those statistics moving in the right direction.
So on the day of the race, you could find me in a pink tutu, pink knee socks, and pink bandana. And as I drove up to the event that day, I was overcome with emotion (and plenty of tears—which, if you follow along on Snapchat—you saw) at the amount of people, family members and Pink Warriors that were there. Many of them with shirts and signs sharing who they were walking for, many of them with an RIP or pink wings accompanying those names.
I proudly walked the three miles with some of our closet friends on my team, but really walked with thousands of new friends. I was humbled and moved by the sheer numbers and stories of hope I heard, knowing that I was only scraping the surface of the countless stories of inspiration and courage that were told that day. I didn’t want to leave once I hit the finish line, and the three miles went by in a heartbeat…I could have walked thirty!
Making Strides welcomes all of us to honor breast cancer survivors, remember those we have lost, raise breast cancer awareness, and support breast cancer fundraising…and have fun doing it. I left the race knowing that I had helped save lives, but I’d also felt absolutely moved by the positive impact that so many people were doing in our community. Search for an event in your community, and consider donating to the cause today. Together, we can fight breast cancer and kick it to the curb! I’d love to know: have you walked in your community? Who will you honor at the next Making Strides walk? Truly, MKR
