In Celebration of March 17th aka St. Paddy’s Day

 

 

To all my Irish Lad’s and Lassy’s out there….Enjoy your corned beef and cabbage and your choice of beer!  🙂  And maybe to celebrate this saints day…support of a foundation that you believe in.  Mine is the fight against breast cancer…if that is yours as well I ask that you have one less beer and take those dollars and help fund my NY walk.  The first of hopefully 3   I will walk 160 miles for this fight, what Irishman doesn’t fight!  🙂

The first is in NY, the second in San Diego and hopefully with the support of my friends I will  also walk in Dallas    $40 a mile….

Avon 39

 

The top of this page is the link to my NY walk ,  should you decide NY is not your cup of tea…the San Diego link is there as well.

Erin Go Bragh

…and thank you

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and wishes for a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Those that follow this blog know that I pushed my goal last year and walked 100 miles to raise awareness and money in the fight against breast cancer.  Well, this year my goal is to walk 160 miles, yup I’ve gone totally crazy!  🙂

I will have to work very hard in order to raise $6,400…that’s $40 a mile!!!  If any of you know of any corporate sponsors that may be able to assist, please share.

AND if any of you are so inclinded I will always accept individual contributions 🙂  I’ve posted two of my walks on the top of this page, I will add the Dallas walk once I’ve fully funded New York and San Diego.

WISHING YOU THE HAPPIEST NEW YEAR!

 

146,079 Steps Closer to a Cure…

Completed my second breast cancer walk yesterday in Dallas…100 miles walked this year and $4,268 dollars raised and donated!  AND the DFW SGK walkwith 1,100 strong, raised 2.8 million dollars that will go to research, support, awareness and preventive testing.

To all my supporters, those that help by donating and those that cheer us on either in person or on facebook a big THANK YOU!!!  Without your support I could not do this year after year! 100 miles is really not that hard, you take one step at a time, just like those that have to fight breast cancer…and you come out on the other side stronger.  We walk with a serious mission before us, with the hope that someday we will no longer have to walk!!!…because breast cancer will be a thing of the past!   And while the mission is serious the journey is one of sharing, meeting new friends, happy and sad stories and wearing outlandish getups 🙂   One of the goals is to raise awareness….well mission accomplished because how can one see these crazy walkers and not ask…What is that all about???

There are so many more involved in these walks beside the actual walkers…there is the crew that keep us safe as we cross some very busy streets

The youth corp that serve us our lunch, cheer us on and inspire us with their thoughtfulness

The medical crew that tape up the blisters and pulled muscles…

Shout out to the Dallas, Addison, and Richardson Police Dept for stopping traffic so we don’t lose our pace….I know those of you in cars trying to get somewhere these past 3 days probably don’t think they are so great because I know we did cause a few loooooog lines of traffic…And of course there is always one of those cops…….that just can’t resist… dancing in the street.  I really have to get a video next time but this year it was a female Dallas officer that danced her way thru directing traffic and didn’t care how many upset drivers there were she was a pink supporter!!  She was fantastic!

Do you have any idea what a beautiful site a porta-potti can be after 4 miles and “staying hydrated” can be????

Mother nature was not as kind this year as she has been in the past, despite promises of 3 beautiful sun filled days…she decided to shake up the journey a bit this year with some rain on Friday night thru Saturday morning.  Rain tapping on the tent is actually a great sound to sleep to, but rain bouncing off your head in the morning…not so much!  🙂   On day 2…after a morning of cold rain, many of us took a quick detour into a neighborhood Starbucks….The poor barristers didn’t know what hit them, but took it in stride and served up hot coffee with record speed to a lot of pink ladies and oh yes a chicken in a pink tutu!

Local Cheer leaders and a Pink carpet along the way…

  

Is that a tree with bras??????  🙂

Along the 60 miles the crew usually update us as to how far we have gone or how far we still have to go….it’s amazing how those last few miles seem more like 5 not the 3 purported 🙂

6 years 400 miles ago I made this backpack to use for what I thought would be my only walk…it has served me well each year… and each year I buy a few more buttons. At this point I have had to retire some as I’ve run out of room 🙂  And yes, I’ve worn that NY hat for all six years…. usually stirs up a few conversations in Texas 🙂

My “creds” at the end of this year’s walk…with promise ribbons and a message to breast cancer…

Last year, at the end of the Dallas walk, I took on the challenge to walk in two cities in 2015, 100 miles…I believe I’m up for an even greater challenge in 2016 …HOW ABOUT 3 CITIES???  If I can get the supporters I will walk in New York, San Diego and Michigan next year, that’s 160 miles to find a cure.  We will crush breast cancer TOGETHER!!

These are the people I walk for:

• Maureen Devlin
• Janet Reeves
• Aunt Jodi
• Raymie
• Aunt Holly
• Grandma Jean
• Robin Drobiak
• Jamie Chermel
• Peggie Cremonee
• Meggie
• Ashley
• Coleen D’Avignon
• Cathy Florio
• Norma Powers
• Betty McCrodden
• Suzanna Davis
• Ruth McCrodden
• Ryan’s Grandma
• Meredith’s Aunt
• and countless others whose names I do not know

THANK YOU!

The Calendar pages keep moving…

It’s been so long since I’ve posted anything to this site…and my photography blog.  Time just keeps moving on and you’d better keep up.

I will digress for just a moment, I heard this awhile back and it just stuck with me….”Life is like a roll of toilet paper….the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes”

OK that was supposed to be on a light note 🙂   Getting down to business….We still do not have a cure for breast cancer…or any other cancer for that matter BUT I know we’ll get there!   I will be walking 100 miles this year to raise awareness and money to fight the ugly disease.     40 miles in NY…Manhattan to be exact and then on the other side of the country….60 miles in Dallas.  The least I can do!

So I really need your help…it can be $5.00 or $500.  and anything in between.   I am fully funded for my NY walk, but sadly behind on my Dallas walk…..AND UMMMM  don’t want to pull the “AGE CARD”  but I ain’t no youngster and  I’m still walking 100 miles…do you think maybe you can help me out so I’m still not doing this when I’m 80 🙂

 

the link to the Dallas walk is on the top of this page.  Seriously any help/support you can provide would be soooooo appreciated.

I’ll add an incentive….go to my photography blog and you will find a link to all my photography…if you donate $150 or more to my walk I will send you a signed photo of your choice, on canvas….

 

 

Please Please Please open and read

BREAST CANCER  SUCKS!

I have never been one to easily ask for help, I tend to bulldoze my way through things and just “get ‘er done”, but there comes a time when one must ask for assistance….and the time has come.

For the past 5 years I’ve been involved with the Susan G Komen organization, raising funds for awareness, research and assistance to those in the fight against breast cancer.  I’ve walked the 3 day 60 mile walk and raised a lot of money for a disease that touches so many of us.   This year I’ve upped the ante and will be walking in the New York Avon walk as well …another 40 miles and another terrific organization

Did you know that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and that someone in the world is diagnosed every 3 minutes!!!! Those are staggering and scary stats!

I’m asking, no basically pleading, for support.  ANY amount will be helpful!  If you are a starbucks addict, give up one coffee and send in that $5.oo  or if your budget allows a little more.  I have over 500 followers on my blog, if everyone gave $10.oo  I’d surpass my goal of $ $4,100!

Please consider helping!  This disease must be cured and until it is we need to help those in the battle and we need to find a cure!

I will thank you  in advance, I know you will help me in this fight!

 

New York Avon Walk

 

Dallas Fort Worth Susan G. Koman

 

Angels

Was viewing some video’s from the breast cancer walks across the US and saw an image with a wonderful quote… “Some angels have wings, others wear sneakers”

Cleaning for a Reason

Someone that knows I walk 100 miles for Breast Cancer passed this along to me today on facebook.  I did some checking and this is a legitimate organization, the only problem I found was there are not always enough participants ( cleaners), BUT pass this along to any woman you know that is eligible, hopefully they will find someone to come clean for her! What a wonderful idea and gesture!

“If you know any woman currently undergoing chemo, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning one time per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women.”

http://www.cleaningforareason.com

I’ve Uped the ante this year…

For the past 5 years I’ve been involved with the Susan G Komen 60 mile, 3 day walk…I added 40 more miles to this years journey by signing up for the Avon 2 day walk in NYC…I may have lost my marbles but can’t think of a better way to loose my mind that by doing what I can to fight breast cancer!

AND I get to walk across the Brooklyn bridge….that is the most beautiful bridge ever built…in my humble opinion. 

If there is anyone that would like to help me fight this awful disease…here is the link to my personal Avon NY walk page.

I just learned that another woman that I went to school with has been diagnosed…we need to find a cure folks!!!

Fight Breast Cancer

The DFW 3Day…Completed!!!

 

Mother Nature was good to us this weekend, the rain stopped  on Thursday and the artic freeze will be upon us tonight!  The sun shone upon 1,500 + walkers and crew and volunteers for 3 glorious days.  It is an amazing event for a cause that effects, just about everyone in one form or another. The fight to find a cure for breast cancer is a serious one, but for 3 days pink and outlandish and crazy for the tata’s is what keeps everyone pushing on! The volunteers and the crew that keep all of us safe are amazing…the tough (by exterior appearance only) motorcycle guys and gals in their pink beards and decorated bikes are fantastic.

The youth corps that come out to help are wonderfully thoughtful young people and the police that help with traffic control on the major intersections are full of smiles and some even dance their way thru the day…One has to experience it to truly understand!

Friday Morning we arrived at opening ceremonies to kick off the 3 day full of energy. Oh and just so you know there are as many tears as there are smiles… the happy stories, the struggles that continue and while fewer, there are unhappy endings too.   But there is so much hope and love in the crowd.

 

 

Mile 1 shows the first time walkers what they are in for….I remember my first walk, back in 2010…I did it alone and had no idea what I was in for…I am still walking so that says something…the support and pink are overwhelming…:)

 

 

Take at look at the food we are served for the weekend… I actually think I gained a few pounds 🙂

The crazier the costume the better 🙂

We shower in semi trucks….

We sleep in little pink tents…

 

bring the tissues when visiting the Remembrance tent…this is where the walkers and crew leave photos and stories of the ones they love…

It is an amazing 3 days that will change your life!

So many stories, and memories and new friends made….

The DFW 3 day 2014 raised 3+ million dollars!!!!!!

And then there is the family support system that comes out to cheer us on, support us when fund raising gets tough, sends us sweet treats and loving messages that await us at camp at the end of day one and will pamper us when we get home. Thank you my family…to my soul mate, to the ones I birthed and love very much and the ones I’ve chosen to be my children that are very special to me!

 

I have already signed up for 2015 DFW 3 Day Walk…I’m ready…if you are ready to help me find a cure….http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2014/DallasFortWorthEvent2015?px=4800205&pg=personal&fr_id=1932

 

25 Days until the Dallas Walk…

Thank you to all those of you that supported me.  I’ve made the goal and now walking every night to get ready!!!!