This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Local Glendora Resident to Walk 39.3 Miles to End Breast Cancer with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

Lisa
Smith of Glendora, CA will join thousands of women and men in the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Santa Barbara,
raising funds and awareness that will help defeat breast cancer and support
those facing the disease.  Lisa will
participate in the non-competitive event, which offers the option of walking a
marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over the weekend of
September 6th and 7th. This is her third time participating in the Avon Walk,
and she is training hard and raising funds in preparation for the event.



 Lisa was
inspired to take part in the Avon Walk because she has four out of five of her
Aunts who have had breast cancer.  She
has also had several friends, family of friends, and coworkers that have had
breast cancer.  Lisa has been tested
using the BRCA gene mutation test, and although she does not have the mutation,
she feels that she needs to do something to help all women get tested and/or treated
no matter what their financial or healthcare situation is.  Lisa feels that there is not a lot that one
person can do to stop breast cancer, but this is the one thing she can do.
Walking 39.3 miles is easy compared to what women facing breast cancer have to
go through.



 “Every
year, thanks to thousands of participants like Lisa, we are able to save lives
by providing significant funds for vital breast cancer research as well as
access to care, screening, support services and education,” said Carol Kurzig,
president of the Avon Foundation for
Women
, the public charity that produces the events.  “For the past decade, tens of thousands of dedicated women and men took personal action to
help others through the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. We are truly inspired by
our participants’ passion and enthusiasm.”

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.



 The Avon
Walk Santa Barbara is one of eight weekend walks taking place in 2014.  The
complete 2014 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer schedule includes: Houston (April 12-13), Washington,
DC
 (May 3-4), Boston (May 17-18), Chicago (May 31 -June 1), San Francisco (July
12-13),  Santa Barbara, Calif. (September
6-7), New
York City
, (October 18-19), and Charlotte, N.C. (October
25-26).



 Lisa has
set a fundraising goal of $2,500.00.  To
support Lisa's fundraising campaign, donations can be sent to info.avonfoundation.org/goto/LisaSmith.
Funds raised by Lisa and the thousands of other Avon Walk participants are
awarded by the Avon Foundation for Women, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to help
ensure anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis gets the care they need
regardless of their ability to pay, and to help fund breast cancer
research.  For a complete list of Avon
Foundation for Women funding, visit http://www.avonwalk.org/see-your-impact/where-the-money-goes.html.

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.



 The Avon
Walk series, the Avon Foundation’s
largest fund-raising event, comprises eight non-competitive weekend
fund-raising walks for all fitness levels that require a significant commitment
from participants. Each walker is required to raise at least $1,800 in
donations and to prepare physically for the event, which offers the option of
walking a marathon (26.2 miles), or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over a
weekend. Among the nearly 15,000 participants in 2013 were men and women of all
ages, from nearly every state and several countries, including more than 2,000
breast cancer survivors. This large, diverse group was united by their shared
desire to eradicate breast cancer and help those touched by the disease.



 Lisa will
start her Walk weekend with an opening ceremony early Saturday morning,
followed by walking up to a marathon that day. Both walkers and volunteer Crew spend the night at
the “Wellness Village,” a “tent city” featuring two-person sleeping tents, hot showers, prepared
meals and support services.  On Sunday,
all walkers complete the final 13.1-mile leg of their
journey, culminating
in a moving closing ceremony during which the Avon Foundation presents local
grants to leading breast cancer care and research organizations so funds
immediately benefit the community. The Avon Foundation also awards hundreds of
additional grants to breast cancer research and access programs across the
country.



 For more
information or to register for an Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, visit www.avonwalk.org or call 888-541-WALK.



 REMEMBER, EARLY DETECTION HELPS SAVE LIVES.
 Get a mammogram.  Know your breasts and report any changes to your
doctor.  Talk to your doctor about your risk.  And encourage women
around you to do the same.  Don't forget, men can get breast cancer, too.  



For breast cancer information and resources,
visit avonfoundation.org.
 



 The Avon Walk thanks National Sponsors Reebok and Orion Holdings

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?