As snow dusts parts of the country and twinkling lights adorn cities, we’re wrapping up our incredible 2016 Komen 3-Day season. However, there’s one more thing left to do in the flurry of holiday business – make your commitment to join us in 2017. The early bird price, just $35 to register, expires at 11:55 p.m. CT on Thursday, December 8.
We know that there are gifts to be bought, cookies to be baked, tables to be set, kids to be played with, work to be done, and many other demands on your time as a woman, man, child, daughter, son, mother, father, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, and friend. But we also know that the advancements we’ve made in the treatment of breast cancer couldn’t have been done without YOUR help. We raised over $17,000,000 in 2016 thanks to our 6,500+ walkers and 1,800+ crew.
Every day, we see the results of funding the community we serve. For example, here’s Ann, a 10-year survivor from Chicago who benefited from Susan G. Komen®-funded research which adjusted her breast cancer treatment plan from 57 infusions to just 30.
How exactly did Komen help Ann? “Komen research saved me 27 times I didn’t have to travel to the University of Chicago for treatment, saved me 27 times of being away from my kids, saved me 27 times of having a needle in my arm. This event is all about promise…and because of Komen, it is.”
Ann and her husband at the San Diego 3-Day
Or what about the story of Lee Giller, currently battling stage four breast cancer, and a champion for change in sharing though male breast cancer is rare, it is real?
His wife Kathy said, ““For those people who think not enough has been done to advance breast cancer research, I would say that of course, we always need more. We still haven’t found the cure. But we have come a long way and Lee is living proof of that. When he was diagnosed with his recurrence 4 years ago, he was told that the average life span would be about 26 months. He’s still here. He still has many treatment options. This would not be the case if it weren’t for organizations like Komen and others who have dedicated themselves to fighting this disease.”
Lee and his wife Kathy
We also met Laurie, a 16-year survivor this year in Dallas/Fort Worth. Shown here with her daughter, Laurie said, “When she was seven months old, she stopped nursing on one side. They just thought it was an infection. It was stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer.”
Laurie and her daughter at the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day
Ann, Lee, and Laurie have benefitted from your help, along with millions of other men and women. We know what you do is hard. We know the fundraising, the training, the walking – all of it, is a challenge. But if it was easy, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.
So, what do you say? Will we see you in 2017? Register for just $35 before 11:55 p.m. CT tomorrow, December 8. Please share the news with your family and friends, and invite them to walk with us. We’re so grateful for everything you do – and we know that together, we are three days closer to a world without breast cancer.
The helpline team serves as a lifeline for those who are feeling overwhelmed with fears or concerns about breast cancer.
The trained helpline team assists those who call or email by providing education about breast cancer, helping to locate low-cost local mammography services, coaching how to communicate with their doctors and loved ones and reassuring callers that they are not alone.
The helpline staff stays directly connected to Komen by participating in the Greater NYC Race for the Cure, attending educational workshops and webinars, receiving internal newsletters from the organization and staying up-to-date on breast cancer materials.