I may have been the one out there walking, but I couldn't have done it without you. Each step I took, some more painfully than others, I did it with you in mind. Yes, you! For you helped me get to the start line. You believed in me and knew what an amazing cause this was.
Because of all of you, I was able to raise more than $2,500.00 for breast cancer research, finding a cure, prevention, and making treatment available for everyone, regardless of income and/or being under-insured. I am very happy to report that among the Washington, D.C.area Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, more than $5 million dollars was raised! And the best news is that the majority of the money stays locally.
It was an amazing weekend. I thank all of you so very much for making it possible for me to participate. The minimum I needed to fundraise was $1,800. I knocked that out of the ballpark by bringing in more than $700 more. Woo-hoo! I am so proud and grateful for all your support.
It was a crazy emotional journey for me. Listening to everyone's stories, seeing who came out to support, cheer and thank us for walking and remembering my Grandmother and the fight she gave and lost, had me on the verge of tears for 2 days straight. Fortunately, I was walking with a fabulous group of women and the tears and laughter came and went easily for me.
A picture is worth a 1,000 words. Please enjoy the highlights of my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer adventure through these photos.
At the opening ceremony. Moments before we started walking. This is The Rack Pack.
This fireman spoke at the opening ceremonies. He had 3 sisters all diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the same time. Within 2 years he lost all 3 sisters. There wasn't a dry eye listening to his and the other stories. The fireman kept popping up though out the route to cheer us on.
Our first step!
The halfway point on Day 1. 13.1 miles done!
The woman in the wheel chair is an 18 month survivor. When we came upon her, her friend was pushing her uphill. How could you not stop to help push?!?! We took turns pushing her a few miles to the next rest stop.
I love this picture!! After two days together, we started getting very loopy. Anna wanted us to follow the rules and wait our turn to cross the street. Susanne and I had other ideas to keep going. We used the extra time waiting for the light (again!) taking this photo.
Waiting to start walking on the morning of Day 2. We've gotten very little sleep, we are sore and it is drizzling outside. Not a fun combo. But we still manage to have smiles on our faces.
At the finish line. We did it and we are proud!
Other highlights:
It was Amy's 35th birthday on Saturday. We sang her "Happy Birthday" every time we hit a new mile. Yes, 26 times! Plus an extra at the restaurant that night. We had reservations at Cheff Geoff's for her birthday dinner. What a fantastic meal and a great place to celebrate a special occasion. Out of the blue, Amy's parents come from the other room in the restaurant and surprise her and her sister (who was also walking). Both sister's had no idea that they were in town. It was a fabulous surprise and so wonderful to be a part of. Amy's parents are great!!! I love how close this family is. I want to have the same kind of relationship and surprise my kids when they least expect it and have it be a good thing.
One of the funniest moments came, at the beginning of day 2, when we started chatting with a woman who was not happy. She told us that she was upset with her team. They made fun of her for walking so slow and pretty much left her behind to walk on her own. She said this was one of the worst days of her life. I tried to friend her and said she could walk with us. As we went from one block to another, I said to her, "I think it is rotten that your team dissed you. Just so you know, we would never do that." Then Anna and Susanne quickly listed all the people we had left behind up to this point. It turned out, that yes, we were capable of that. Then I said, "But we aren't The Mean Girls". At which point, Anna said, "Well, yes, we are Mean Girls." We were literally doubled-over laughing and walking at the same time. It was hilarious. Within the next 5 minutes, this new girl we met, took off and never looked back. It was no big loss. She was very whiny as it was.
Susanne's flourless peanut butter cookies literally saved my life. She made a batch to bring on the walk with us. I was told in advance by the Avon people that I would have to transport my own food because they won't have gluten-free options. I was very unprepared for how true this statement was. It was quite pathetic how little I was able to eat of the food they provided. It pretty much came down to fruit. Even the chips they offered (and can usually be counted on to be gluten-free) was Sun Chips and had wheat in them. I had packed a few things for me to eat, but it wasn't nearly enough and I ended up feeling very lightheaded on Saturday, around the halfway point. The heat was unbearable and my heart started racing. Fortunately Susanne's cookies were available and perfect for a quick energy boost. Thank G-d she made them or I have a feeling the weekend would have had a very different ending for me.
I called it a day and decided to get swept to the Wellness Village. While sitting on the bus, the woman next to me asked if I had any Alleeve on me. I said, "Yes, do you need some?" She replied back, "No, it looks like you do."
I am so blessed to have been able to do the walk with these women. They are powerful, brilliant, and beautiful on the inside and out. This weekend, along with the 60 mile-3 day walk I did back in 2001, will stand out to be some of the most rewarding in my life. Together, we can accomplish anything. My hope is that by the time Samantha is old enough to do a walk like this, it won't be necessary.
Again, thank you for making this possible. And, a big shout-out to my husband, who yet again, did a fantastic job holding down the fort with the kids, while I did my own thing. You had me at hello.
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