Race for the Cure

As someone who has been touched very personally by cancer, and most recently by breast cancer, I've made a decision that will change my life. I'm going to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on October 4, 2008, in Charlotte. I hope you'll join me. There are 3 different events that day: 7:30 am the Competitve 5K Race - Timed; 8:00 am the Non-competitive 5k walk or run; and at 8:30 am 1 mile the fun run/walk. I'm not athletic, nor am I competitive by nature, so I'm planning to participate in the 8:00 a.m. non-competitive 5k WALK.

I think we all have a tendency to wring our hands and pace when we first hear that someone we love is sick. This is a way we can actually do something to help. If you know me very well, you know how powerful I believe prayer is, and I won't stop praying till I take my very last breath. But walking to raise money and awareness for the cause of a disease that is killing our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, cousins, and friends seems very pro-active to me.

This information is from the American Cancer Society: "The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman's life is about 1 in 8 (12%). It is estimated that in 2007 about 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States. Women living in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. At this time there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States....Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman's death is about 1 in 35 (about 3%). In 2007, about 40,460 women will die from breast cancer in the United States. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment."

So, please join me, won't you? Click on Race for the Cure and find out more about what you can do to help win the race with breast cancer.