Together We Made Strides

Sunday was a beautiful day to participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk here along the Chicago lakefront. As the Knit Together team, Jennifer, Kristy & I raised over $1400 to help fight breast cancer. Together with more than 12,000 other walkers we raised close to $1,000,000 by walking.

The weather for the walk was warm and windy – the sun was shining brightly and the reflection danced across the lake. The walk route took us through some beautiful trees that were changing into their autumn best colors and also right up along the lake where the wind was rippling into lots of little waves. At one point along the route everywhere I looked I saw a sea of pink walkers winding along the paths – I turned to Jen & Kristy and commented on the big pink ribbon that was winding it’s way along the lakefront. There was definitely an excitement in the air during the walk – seeing all of the survivors walking with us was great.

Thanks to each of you who contributed to be a part of our team. When I posted about this walk last month my cousin, Ruth, left a comment on my blog that I want to share with each of you:

HI Amy— How fun to read about the Making Strides walk you will be doing. I am honored to know that you are contributing to a cause obviously near and dear to our hearts. Thank you for doing this for me and the thousands of other people affected by breast cancer. We are gearing up for the Komen Race for the Cure this weekend, and I am hoping that some day we won’t be continuing to walk to ‘find a cure’ as it is way beyond time that a cure should have been found. Until then, everyone’s help with raising awareness, early detection and contributing to the research brings hope…..hope that no one else will have to endure the painfully devestating news and treatments required to keep cancer from taking our lives. I overheard a woman the other day make the comment about how she was ‘getting so tired of seeing everything with pink ribbons’…. that it was ”overkill.” She obviously hasn’t been affected on a personal level, and I hope that she never will. I couldn’t believe her comment. She obviously hasn’t had to explain to her 4 and 7 year old kids what cancer is and why bald headed mommy is too sick to do the simple things with them. Thanks again for walking and working towards finding a cure. Although cancer takes many things from a person, it also provides an opportunity to realize the most important things in your life and to know that every minute, every day and every opportunity you are given is truly a gift. Thank you— from Russ, Nathan, Ellen and myself— we appreciate what you are doing. On the back of my survivor shirt for the Komen Race, there is a saying that I think is so appropriate…. “I walk for those who have walked before me and for those who walk beside me.” Thank you, everyone, for walking beside me, too.

Ruth, Russ, Nathan & Ellen
Race for the Cure 2007 – Toledo, OH

As I had mentioned before, last month I knit a pink scarf for the walk and attached all of my donor names to the scarf as a fringe. The weather was so warm that I couldn’t wear the scarf (who would have thought?) but the fringe hung out from my backpack & “waved” along the walk (see photo above). Now that the walk is complete, I am giving this scarf to Robyn – the friend for whom Jennifer walked this year. Robyn is currently in the midst of her breast cancer treatments and I think the scarf will serve as a hug from all of us.

Congrats to Julie for winning my blog team contest – a skein of Hill Country Yarns in the Breast Cancer Awareness colorway is yours.

I echo Ruth’s comment above – I hope that one day we will no longer have to be walking and raising funds for a cure. Until that day comes thank you for being a part of working towards a cure!