February 4th is World Cancer Day. Do Something Huge.

For Susan G. Komen 3-Day® participants, donors and supporters, the goal of eliminating breast cancer from the planet is in the forefront of our minds every day. Today, on World Cancer Day, we can feel the strength of that commitment touching us from all corners of the globe, as communities around the world unite to raise universal awareness of cancer issues and educate each other about everyone’s part in creating a cancer-free future.

Komen 3-Day friends, it’s a big, big world, and your dedication to the battle against breast cancer is as big as the oceans and mountains and sky. And what you’re doing is making a difference. See an event-by-event breakdown of what the 3-Day® accomplished in 2014, and witness some of the impact that Susan G. Komen® is having here: Progress is being made, but we’re not at our destination yet, so we challenge each and every one of you to do something huge this year to bring us closer. Register for the 3-Day. Get someone to join you. Stand united with your 3-Day brothers and sisters and our entire worldwide humankind family to show that ending cancer in our lifetime isn’t just a dream, it’s an eventuality worth fighting for.

A Holiday Greeting from Your Friends at the 3-Day

The candles are lit and the halls have been decked,
And the calendar boxes are nearly all checked.
Our sneakers are hung up; for now, snow boots reign.
(Except out in Cali, where flip-flops remain).
We look back on the year now with this little rhyme,
And the world that we changed, three days at a time.
Through seven incredible, scenic locations,
One foot, then the other, we made our migration.
A Michigan opener, then Twin Cities and Philly,
Seattle and Atlanta (which were both rather hilly),
Dallas/Fort Worth, and to round out the tally,
It was back to the coast for a San Diego finale.
The miles that we trekked totaled 420,
(and on sore, blistered feet, that number was plenty!).
Our 3-Day community—each remarkable walker,
Hard-working crew member, supporter and stalker—
Stood tall and united, committed to answer
The call to a world that is free from breast cancer.
And although the days spent joined in person are few,
The family we’ve built remains strong through and through.
So from us at the 3-Day, whose lives you have touched,
We’ll see you next year, and we thank you so much!

A Message of Thanksgiving from Dr. Sheri

I’m thankful for life every day of the year, but I have to admit that this is my most favorite time of the year. As a physician and six-year breast cancer survivor, I wanted to take this opportunity to share something for which I am truly thankful: advances in screening and treatment have improved survival for U.S. women with breast cancer. In 1980, the relative five-year survival rate for breast cancer when caught early was only 74%. Today, it is 99%! As a survivor, I accept the responsibility to educate as many people as I can about breast health and share with them how they too can join in the fight to end breast cancer.

Thanksgiving should be a holiday in which we, as individuals, focus on our past, our present circumstances, and our future endeavors, and give thanks. It should be a day to slow down for a few hours, join hands with our family and friends, and truly reflect on the blessings in our lives. There is so much in this beautiful world to be thankful for, and the least we can do is take a moment to realize that on a day that is dedicated to giving thanks. You can still go shopping, watch your football team, go for a second serving of turkey and potatoes and tell stories about the “first” Thanksgiving. These are all very enjoyable things. But just remember that it shouldn’t be about what other people make it out to be. Thanksgiving is what you make it about, and if you think of the holiday in its namesake only, the proper notion should be clearly evident.

Enjoy this time with family and friends and I can’t wait to see you all again next year!