39 Days to 39.3 miles

In 39 days I will be walking in the 39.3 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  I've been training (and I've been shopping for my anything-but-pink walking gear).  But, I'm taking a minute for a little shameless fund raising.  I have set my personal goal for the Walk at $5,000.  I am overwhelmed by the generous contributions many of you have made.  Thank you.  Because of you, I am close to my goal, but I'm not there yet.  And, quite honestly, I'd like to surpass my goal. 

If you are at all interested, and if you can, please make a donation to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer online by clicking on the following link, which will bring you to my personal page.

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/NewYork?px=6147606&pg=personal&fr_id=2070

Forgive the repetition, but if all of this fund raising seems too big and corporate and "pink" for you, please consider the following fund, The Maite Aquino Memorial Fund.  The Fund will focus on specific research programs that seem to have a high impact on solving the problem of metastatic breast cancer. It is a very targeted, specific fund, and I promise you every penny will be well spent.

http://www.maiteaquino.org/

Elizabeth asked me why I was walking in the Avon Walk if they already have a cure for breast cancer.  Jay and I have always told Elizabeth and Andrew that my breast cancer was treatable and curable.  And, I would be fine.  Dying of breast cancer is not an option in their heads.

But, she asked, and I took a deep breath and answered.  I told her that, sadly, not all women survive breast cancer.  She seemed ready to hear the truth.  I wanted her to hear the truth (at least part of the truth) from me.  I told her that older women with weakened immune systems infrequently die of breast cancer.

I think that was enough for her (and for me) for now.

Camp Visiting Day--July 2011