Breast Cancer Walks - We're collecting your stories for our Why We Walk™ Yearbook Series

Why We're Doing This

My son and I have been involved in breast cancer walks since 1995. Our first walk was the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure® in Peoria, IL after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994. My mom walked with us for 2 years as a Survivor. Mom lost her battle with breast cancer in 1996 and my son and I have continued to walk.

In 2005, we became Crew members for the Breast Cancer 3-Day in Arizona where walkers walk 60 miles in 3 days. As a Crew member for a 3-Day breast cancer walk, we create a portable “city” for each day of the walk. It is awe-inspiring to see the number of people who participate and what they’re willing to go through to raise funds for research. We intend to continue participating as Crew for these walks for as long as it takes to find a cure. We'll continue to add details of each walk as we complete them so feel free to check out all the information and photos in our 3-Day Walks area.

Initially when we started walking and crewing, we were participating with only the Susan G. Komen Foundation because that's the first one that we had found out about. Since then, we have found many other organizations that conduct yearly breast cancer walks, such as the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer and the Revlon Run/Walk.

One of our goals is to begin participating in as many of these breast cancer walks as possible. As we've become more active in these walks, we’ve discovered that, whether we participate in breast cancer walks as Walkers or as Crew Members, it’s a lot of work and a lot of fun!

The other thing that we've discovered as we spend time talking with Walkers and Survivors is that there are many women who, like my mom, are being dismissed by their doctors as being "too young to have cancer", "too worried about nothing", and many times, even after being diagnosed, are not getting the proper information or testing. Women are losing their lives because of it...this shouldn't happen!

So, we’ve chosen to take a more active role in raising awareness. Not just for self-exams and yearly checks with your doctor, but in trusting what you know about your own body, asking questions, getting second opinions...whatever it takes to keep women from dying needlessly. In order to make that happen, it must become a team effort.

Tell Us Why You Walk!

Here’s what we’re looking for from you. If you’re on this site, there’s a good chance that you’ve been affected in some way, shape or form by Breast Cancer. There’s also a good chance that you or someone you know has participated in one or more Breast Cancer Walks somewhere.

We’re collecting your stories about why you walk. Tell us why you put on your walking shoes to join thousands of others in one common goal. Is it in Honor of someone you love or care about who is a Survivor? Is it in Memory of someone you’ve lost to this disease? Is it for those in your life that you love whom you never want to have to face being diagnosed with having it? Why do you walk?

We know that there are as many reasons for people walking as their are people in these walks. Everyone's story is unique. And yet there are enough similarities among those who walk that simply by sharing your story, you will be assisting others in finding their own voice, their own strength, and know that no matter what their own reason is for walking...they are NOT alone!

Submit Your Breast Cancer Walk Story Here!

Story Specifications

1. Breast Cancer Walk Stories should range in length between 300-1200 words.

2. No anonymous or author unknown submissions please.

3. Send each submission only once.

After submitting through our website, you will be taken to an acknowledgment screen directly after hitting “Submit”. This screen will let you know that your story has been accepted into our submission process. All submissions will be published and you will be notified when our book is ready for print. Our goal is mid-year. Please note that your story may be edited for length. If you do not have Internet access at home, you can always visit a local library.

Feel free to submit more than one story if you’d like. If you do not have a personal story of your own, but have a story written by someone else, these stories are welcomed as well. Don’t forget to include who the author is, source, etc.

With Deepest Gratitude,

The Why We Walk™ Team

Who Can We Affect?

The stories of why people are willing to commit their time to a breast cancer walk is but one of several ways we are raising funds for research. We’ve designed a game plan to raise over $100,000 per year for breast cancer research, while providing support and encouragement to those who are affected by the disease. We are going to give Survivors and their families a place to go year round to see that they’re not alone. And I believe that “year round” is the key.

Breast cancer walks that we participate in are wonderful places to make friends and provide mutual support…but what about the day to day? The times when everyone’s back at work, back at school, back to the daily grind…the times when life continues to move forward, but because you or someone you know is fighting breast cancer, life is NOT moving forward “as usual”?

As we add resources, information, and places to set up memorials, be sure to visit often and email your feedback…this site isn’t just for us…it’s for anyone who can benefit from a friendly, supportive place to go.

Support After the Walks

During every breast cancer walk, people are making lifelong friends, meeting people they want to stay in touch with, and taking lots of pictures to remember the event. Then, once we all get home, life starts happening. We get busy. We go back to work. And many times we forget that we wanted to "drop a line" to someone we met at an event.

That's exactly why we partnered up with SendOutCards™ and added Greeting Cards For A Cure ™ to our company product line. Check it out and be sure to request a FREE Gift Account so you can use it yourself and see how it works. It's simple to set up and easy to navigate. It lets you send a printable card (THEY print it, not you) with any photo(s) you have stored digitally, from any computer in the world, within typically 37 seconds (ok, if you don't know much about computers, it may take you 67 seconds). The point is, you can send this type of card through the U.S. Post Office via an online interface for just over $1 dollar!

So, if you're walking in a breast cancer walk, be sure to take your camera along and take LOTS of pictures. You may just want to test out the new system and send a couple of personalized greeting cards to people you care about or met along the way!

Giving Back

Every company or product that we promote here on our site or through our web letters, must be part of a win-win equation. It must be a win for Attitude For Life™ by being able to generate profits, and a win for the end Customer by being a great quality product or service.

If those two wins are in place, the final win is automatic. Attitude For Life™ gives 10%-50% of all its revenues to charitable organizations. While our main support goes to finding a cure for Breast Cancer, we will be eventually be adding other organizations as well. You can check out our current list for more information on the organizations themselves.

All of the programs we promote provide support, inspiration, or online resources to assist with the effects caused by Breast Cancer. Whether keeping in touch with loved ones and sending out announcements, providing a way to create income without leaving home so you can care for yourself or someone else, or simply expressing how you feel and finding out that you’re not alone, we have or will be creating a way to make it happen.