Today marked a milestone for Mom and me: We have broken the $2000 mark in our fundraising for this year's walk!! As of 6:00 this evening, we are the grateful recipients of $2132 in donations, which means that we are 36% of the way to our goal of $6000.
We reached another important landmark as well today. Thanks to the support of so many of you, we have now raised MORE THAN $21,000 over the years of our participation in this event. I was thinking of this on my walk home this afternoon. As I considered all that you have given over the past few years, I found tears running down my face. I don't know that I will ever find the words to tell you how thankful I am. But I can tell you that just as your financial support will surely help save lives, your emotional support will help us complete our 60-mile journey in October.
Today, I want to extend special thanks to five friends of mine. First, to Helene, who was by my side for the entire 60 miles of the 2001 walk and was my tentmate that year. Shortly after I met Helene in September 1999, she lost her mom, Caroline, to breast cancer. I got to know Helene as she was dealing with her mother's death, and then, as now, I am in awe of Helene's composure, her resilience, and the many ways in which she has honored her mother's memory. As I walk in October, I will carry thoughts of Caroline and of Helene in my head and in my heart.
I also am grateful to Cindy, who also knows the sorrow of losing loved ones from this disease. Two of Cindy's aunts have died from breast cancer, and each year, Cindy honors their memory as she walks in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Boston. I know that Cindy, just like me, will be overjoyed to reach the day when we may cease our walking and begin to dance.
A third thank you goes to a dear former coworker of mine, who, like Helene and Cindy, has supported me on prior walks as well. She has always been a source of advice and comfort, and she was especially helpful in the days and weeks after Mom was diagnosed, always providing a sympathetic ear.
Finally, I want to give my thanks to Kevin and Brian, two friends from Virginia who have since moved away. Kevin has been a friend of mine for years, and I was happy to have the chance to visit him in Sacramento last month on the way back to San Francisco after my weekend trip to Lake Tahoe. Brian recently moved back home to Ohio and plans to move to LA in a few months. Although I miss both of them, I feel lucky to know that our friendship continues, and I am so appreciative of their donations to our walk.
Ten years ago, when Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, I felt powerless to do anything to help. But now, your generosity and your belief in me give me the courage to keep moving forward on this quest for a cure. Your support has overcome my powerlessness and replaced it with hope. Because of you, I have realized that the impossible is, perhaps, more possible than I once thought it was, and I am always looking ahead to the day when a cure is found. Thank you for all that you have given and that you continue to give to this cause.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment