2012 3-day Walk

How did I not update on Chicago or the Atlanta walk? Well in short....

Chicago:

 

My first crew experience was wonderful! New friends were made, I had the most amazing strawberry oreo custard, many many towels were folded, and I enjoyed every second talking, cheering, and helping out walkers.  

Atlanta:

New friendships were formed, new memories made, and the best petit fours in the world were discovered! More importantly $4.2 million dollars was raised in Atlanta the fight against breast cancer. Where does all of this money go? Not sure I could ever say it better than Mr. Furr, a great 3-day walker. Thank you Jay for putting it all out there!

Remembering

So many of us in the Komen community have met on an event and become close friends all brought together by our fight for the Cure. We have similar stories: our mom or aunt or grandmother have been affected by breast cancer. We are walking so our future generations can know the C-word as CURE not as a diagnosis. I've met a handful of survivors who are around my age including Bridget. Each one touching my life in a unique way and reminding me to stop taking life granted. While Bridget and I never physically met, I felt like I knew her through her honest and eloquently written blog. I read of her clinical trails, milestones, the good news to the decision to freeze her eggs for the future, the events that no twenty-something should have to decide. She was going to beat the odds she was originally given, and make it to her 30th birthday.  I vowed to walk for Bridget and every woman and man, because we all deserve a lifetime.

In December, Bridget asked us never to forget her. I don't think anyone can forget Bridget and her dedication and fight for the Cure. She made an impact on our lives and her legacy will continue.

“We cannot know healing without knowing sickness. We cannot know peace without knowing anxiety. We cannot know light without experiencing darkness. And we cannot believe in the redeeming work of God without seeing the brokenness he is at work in.” – Katie Blackburn

Hi April! Lets Fundraise!

Hi Friends!

I started writing a blog post in February and March, and I never hit publish. Some days just do not have enough hours in the day for me to get everything done! I did want to make a couple updates. The first on my promise I made in December. I've made several donations Susan G. Komen 3-day walkers, Saint Baldricks, Relay For Life, and The National Kidney Foundation, each donation I thought about Bridget. She has been on my mind a lot lately as well.

The second, I finally wrote my 2013 fundraising letter. Since, my previous fundraising letters have been the most popular blog posts, here you go!


Dear Support Crew,

I am coming to you again in hopes that you will join me in the fight to Cure Breast Cancer.

In October, I will take part in my sixth Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event. I had such incredible experiences in Atlanta and Chicago 3-Day events in 2012 that I am preparing for a new city for 2013 - Tampa! Some of you may remember my first 3-day event in 2008, where I celebrated my 25^th birthday on the final day of the walk. It is hard to believe that I will be celebrating my 30^th birthday during the walk this year. I won’t be celebrating alone either, because my close friends and my mom will be by my side as we walk to end breast cancer. 

I walk because I believe that no man or woman should have to have a cancer diagnosis. I walk because my mom continues to be cancer free and for our good friend Toni to never have to endure another diagnosis or treatment again. Every 69 seconds, somewhere in the world a woman dies from Breast Cancer, and I walk to change this. I walk so that we can live in a cancer free world and our future generations can study about cancer instead of live in a world with cancer. I believe in Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the many advances they have sponsored for the past 30 years. I know for a fact that without Susan G. Komen many of the drug therapies and treatments would not have been an available treatment plan for my mom, Toni and many others. I am Pro-Cure, walking for those who cannot, and I will continue walking until we have a day when cancer is obsolete.

Some may think that spending a monumental birthday exhausted, sweaty, blistered, sleeping in a tent, and showering in a truck may not be the most glamorous, but I can't imagine it any other way. My decision to spend my birthday in Tampa walking will bring awareness to and raise research funds for breast cancer and will guarantee more birthdays for others. So many of you have generously donated to over the years, and I ask for you to please consider donating again this time around. I am only 11% of the way and I ask for you to consider sharing this experience with me by making a donation in honor or in memory or in honor of a cancer survivor or birthday. 

Please follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising web page. Also, remember that many companies will match your donation. To see a list of companies that match donations, click here. Thanks for all of your support. I'm very lucky to have a Support Crew like you in my life!

Love,
Crystal 

It's not much, but its what I can do.

It has been a while since I have visited this blog. In fact, the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure 2012 'season' has ended, and I have failed to blog about my two experiences. As normal, life got in the way. 

But the real reason on why I am here today... It comes with a heavy heavy heart. Several years ago I was introduced to Bridget Spence on a Susan G. Komen promotional dvd. I had my own personal reasons for walking and supporting the fight for the cure, but Bridget gave me another reason. I have followed Bridget's journey, the ups and the downs, the tears and the celebrations. I have kept her in my prayers and every training walk to the 3-day event her name has been with me. I've often visited her blog, just to make sure I didn't miss an update. My heart was heavy when I read the most recent post. I sat in my living room letting her words sink in and become a reality. 

I'm not sure if Bridget is aware of the army that she has behind her. There is one thing I do know: this army will not back down. As soon as I hit publish on this blog, I will make my first donation of many in honor of Bridget to a walker or crew member for the 3-day event series. The first donation is for an inspiring man, who provided me the inspiration to do this. I know that it’s not much, but it’s what I can do to honor one amazing and inspiring woman who I will never forget.

Inspiration

I don't want to spoil anything... but I am so excited about this design I am using for a little 3-Day project! I did watermark this copy, but I am happy to share. Leave me a comment with your e-mail address if you are interested!

The countdown has started,

25 days until Chicago

& 95 until Atlanta!

Training Walks

 Compared to this time last year, I was racking up 30+ miles a week, sadly my training has been few and far between in 2012. Downloading the past months walks from my Garmin was a little depressing. However, it was so nice this weekend to get in 7 miles, and if my longest training walk this year is 7 miles, so be it. I will still push through every step to get us that much closer to the CURE!

Post about not Posting

Its been a while hasn't it? I have opened up a blog posted and started to write 11 times in the past four months. Each time, lacking words and passion. 

Rewind few months... I was excited, full of my 3-Day passion, I had my fundraising letter ready to send; everything was coming together perfectly. I was confident and ready to hit that send button for my 4th fundraising letter. But I wanted my husband to proof read the e-mail for me one more time before I sent it out to my 100+ contacts. The next day my feelings changed. I think I experienced every emotion that day. No need to re-hash those feelings today, but I thought for a day or two, my 3-day days were over. I realized we still needed that fight for the cure and these days are not over and I won't let them be over until we have a CURE! I sent a revised fundraising email out two months later, and while I did receive a little hate mail, the response was overwhelming and as of today I am less than $1,000 away from the $2,300 it takes to participate!


I haven't been blogging and I wasn't invited back to be an Ambassador this year. I'm not questioning it either, just a fact. Life can get in the way sometimes. Not to mention, I've been so busy, it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago I put two and two together on why I missed that email.  Or maybe I received the email but because I was drowning in the abyss known as grad school and I never read it. But hard work pays off, because I can officially say I have a 4.0 in grad school! (First time in this girls life!) 3 hours down 33 to go! Don't laugh, its the small things. After all of the reading and writing I was doing for class, and my full time job, it was hard to find any extra words. Not to mention the desire to sit in front of my computer to write more wasn't there.

While many days I did feel like this I still made my rounds to a few events!

Attending and Volunteering at a couple Get Started Meetings!


I did have a fundraising event at Canvas By U.

Amy & I went to visit a friend in Little Rock, Arkansas and went to an event Komen Arkansas sponsors known as Fired up For the CURE. AKA, firemen without shirts. I think more cities need an event like this!

Amy & I with Mr. August

Events coming up, Pampered Chef for the Cure, Yard Sale for the Cure, and Bunco for the Cure! And two summer classes that start this week. I hope that I can walk one night during the week and a long walk on the weekend. Until then, maybe I'll see you all again in August!