2004
This summer I will be walking nearly 80 miles over the course of two weekends as a participant in two Avon Walks for Breast Cancer. Once again I am honored to be walking with thousands of others that have made the same courageous commitment to help raise awareness and funding for this devastating disease.

This probably isn't the first time you've heard something like this from me and it probably won*t be the last. Why do I continue to push myself to participate in these events? Why do I keep talking about breast cancer? Why do I continue to fundraise and train? Why? Because when I first started participating in these events I only knew one person that had been touched by breast cancer. Now I know more than I can count. The numbers are not improving. The more people I talk to and the more money I raise to fund the fight against breast cancer * the sooner the numbers start turning around and the sooner a cause and a cure are found. I truly believe that finding the cure to one cancer will be the key to unraveling the mysteries of many cancers. Too many people have had their lives torn apart by this disease. I refuse to sit idly by and watch it happen. So why do I continue to do all this? Because I can.

This year I signed up for two walks - * San Francisco and Portland. For each event my teammates and I will be walking 26.2 miles on Saturday, then 13.1 miles on Sunday for a grand total of almost 80 miles. To participate in each event every walker must raise a minimum of $1750 - that's $3500 for both events. YIKES! The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade will manage the money raised from these events. The mission of the Crusade is to fund access to finding a cure for breast cancer with a focus on medically underserved women. The funds are awarded to medical research into the possible causes, prevention, treatment and cure of breast cancer; clinical care for breast cancer patients as well as support services and education. One of the things that attracted me to the Crusade is that they are looking at the whole picture * cause, cure, care and support.

This is where you come in. I can't do this alone. To participate in these events I am required to raise a minimum of $3500 by May 15th. $3500 is merely a drop in the bucket of what is needed in this fight but it is still far beyond my personal means. I want to make it as easy as possible to support my efforts. You have two options - go to www.avonwalk.org, click on "Sponsor A Walker" and follow the directions or you can just mail a check made out to "Avon Walk for Breast Cancer"directly to me and let me do all the ugly paperwork for you. Either way your gift will be appreciated more than I can possibly tell you.

One of the things I discovered as I was going through my own cancer experience is that I am blessed with an amazing circle of family and friends. This was shown to me over and over as people came out of the woodwork to offer love and support. I feel privileged to have you in my life. This event is one way that I can try to offer some of that support back to those who need it now.

Before I go I have one more favor to ask of you. After you get done reading this (and filling out your pledge check) pick up the phone and call the four women that are closest to you. Ask them if they have been doing their monthly exams and if they have had their mammogram. This simple question has the potential of saving their life. You see, right now one million American women are walking around with undiagnosed breast cancer. These are lives that can be saved with the proper testing and treatment * but they need to ask. Your question may prompt a loved one to check and find out early enough to save her life * and isn*t that what this is all about?

Thank you for your generous support.