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It was a warm September morning when I walked into the ballroom at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. The room was packed with people, most of them in some shade of pink. I had been invited to the “kick-off” breakfast for the annual American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Since I had arrived late, I had missed some of the speakers, but the ones I was honored enough to hear, moved me. Stories of breast cancer survivors. Stories of the treatments and the triumphs. Stories of hope.
As I sat there I thought of my friends…my neighbor who taught my daughter to ride a bike, only to pass away before she saw her get her license; my dear friend who kept her diagnosis a secret from friends and family until she was in remission, so she wouldn’t worry anyone; and my friend – a true Southern Belle – who is in the thick of the fight. I also thought of my daughters and how I wished we could banish this horrible disease in our lifetimes. As I got out my wallet to place a check in the envelope, I stopped. I could start a team.
So, when I got back to the office I asked Karen if she would sponsor our team and buy T-shirts. She said, “Of course!” and that’s what brought our little team of friends, co-workers and kids to Tempe Beach Park on this beautiful November morning.
We walked the three-mile route with lots (and I mean lots!) of others. There were pink wigs, those adorned with “survivor” shirts, hats and belts, babies with pink bows in their hair and even a poodle with a pink ribbon groomed into her hindquarters! I made our team “boobie” bracelets – assorted pink, white and clear pony beads – so we would have some of our own bling.
Crossing the finish line we decided that we should walk again next year. So, if you are in my address book, expect to see an email from me come next September. It’s an event that moves your feet and your heart.
