STEPPIN' OUT IN PINK

Saturday a.m. the southside of La Crosse was transformed  into a sea of deep pink as 6 thousand folks had registered to march to earn monies for local breast cancer research for the Gundersen Medical Foundation and bring Cancer awareness to our community. 

 Among the walkers were a group dear to my heart, some of our local Jazzercisers with their own special pink t-shirts. Below is part of our group which eventually joined up with our stroller brigade.

I was told I was the only walker seen that day donning a pink nose. My pink nose was a gift from my buddy Sue who has started her own pink nose brigade of cancer awareness and kindness to live each day to its fullest.  

Some 4 million dollars have been raised in the last 12 years to aid those who can't afford mammograms/ treatment expenses in addition to funding a PhD cancer researcher for the Norman L. Gillette Jr. Cancer Research Fellowship.

 Participants have the choice between a 2.5 or 4.5 mile walk for all ages.  The over 6,000 folks registered included folks from some 30 states with over 450 breast cancer survivors also participating. 
Many friends, families and various group walk together like our group from the Jazzercise classes.  It was a gorgeous day for a walk even with our late state since some of us came from class. 















We stopped on West Avenue by Badger Corrugating Co. for a photo op in front of doors donated by construction contractors displaying messages supporting breast cancer survivors and honoring victims. In our group are 5 family members related to Kopp construction!( second door from the right) 

Besides  the variety of music groups who gave of their time and talent entertaining the participants along the routes, 

there was water and food stations and also placards of cancer facts. One important fact that stuck with me was that in 1960 one in twenty women developed breast cancer. Today that number is one in seven. WOW. A very special stop was a memorial station to decorate stones for loved one for the stone garden. 

All of us have been touched in some way by this terrible disease and the walk serves to remember those who have passed, the survivors, those who are still battling cancer with hopes that  continued research will one day eradicate Breast Cancer.