Lisa Boyle's Pledge Page...It Starts with a step and ends with a cure!
On September 21, 2001, I will join approximately 4000 other women and men in the NY Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. The walk is approximately 60 miles...from Bear Mountain, NY to Manhattan. For those of you who know me, you may be surprised that I'm taking on such a monumental walk but you're probably not surprised that I'm involved with something like this. I believe it will be an extraordinary event…and well worth everything I will endure to complete the walk. It is much less than what cancer patients endure on a daily basis. My mission for the event is two-fold.
The first is personal. Part is to promote my own physical fitness. Walking 60 miles in three days will take a lot of commitment and training on my part. But I know I can do it and look forward to the challenge. Part is to raise awareness of breast cancer with those I care about. I had a "cancer scare" in December after a baseline mammogram showed a "dark spot". Although chances the "spot" is cancerous are slim, I will need a second mammogram in June to verify that it is just dense tissue and not cancer. From this scare, I realized two things. One is that I am lucky to have insurance for mammograms. Many women don't…these women may not know for years that they have breast cancer…until it is possibly too late. The other is that many people do not understand the need for mammograms. A number of my friends are afraid to have mammograms because they are afraid of the results. Wouldn't it be nice to know that mammograms were available to everyone? Wouldn't it be nice if people were educated about breast cancer enough to know that early detection is the key? These are some of the issues the Avon 3-Day Walk addresses.
That leads me to my second reason for joining the 3-Day Walk. I want to help Avon continue the wonderful work they support. Avon is the largest supporter of the breast cancer cause in the
U.S., donating over $100 million since their Breast Cancer Crusade began in 1993. Because of their work, many underserved women receive mammograms and clinical breast exams. In addition, Avon funds support services for breast cancer patients and survivors, financial assistance for biopsies for uninsured women, counseling, transportation, child care, educational seminars and medical research on breast cancer. I believe the work they support has saved thousands of lives…and will continue to do so in the future.
I have committed to raise $1900 to support Avon's work...and I need your help. Would you please support my walk by making a pledge? Your pledges are fully tax-deductible, and every dollar gets me closer to my goal. You can donate by clicking on the black "PledgePage" box to the left then "donate". Please keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I will train between now and September. (Also, I will be wearing shirts with names of cancer survivors and victims. Please let me know if you would like me to walk in their memory or honor--I will add their name to my shirts.)
My hope is that, through these walks, we can make a difference. It's a big challenge…but someone has to do it…if not me, who? I do not want to stand by idly, I want to be a part of the solution. Slowly but surely, through the money we raise, more people will be educated, more research will be done and more lives will be saved. Until the day "when we can cease our walking and begin to dance", I will walk.
My walker # for the NY event is 5062.
If you have questions, please e-mail them to me at: plboyle1@yahoo.com.
Please sign my guest book and let me know what you think about my PledgePage. I will try to keep the diary updated and include additional pictures from time to time.
In honor of (cancer survivor):
Edith Kroupa
In Memory of (cancer victims):
Marie Boyle
Stella Talaga
The first is personal. Part is to promote my own physical fitness. Walking 60 miles in three days will take a lot of commitment and training on my part. But I know I can do it and look forward to the challenge. Part is to raise awareness of breast cancer with those I care about. I had a "cancer scare" in December after a baseline mammogram showed a "dark spot". Although chances the "spot" is cancerous are slim, I will need a second mammogram in June to verify that it is just dense tissue and not cancer. From this scare, I realized two things. One is that I am lucky to have insurance for mammograms. Many women don't…these women may not know for years that they have breast cancer…until it is possibly too late. The other is that many people do not understand the need for mammograms. A number of my friends are afraid to have mammograms because they are afraid of the results. Wouldn't it be nice to know that mammograms were available to everyone? Wouldn't it be nice if people were educated about breast cancer enough to know that early detection is the key? These are some of the issues the Avon 3-Day Walk addresses.
That leads me to my second reason for joining the 3-Day Walk. I want to help Avon continue the wonderful work they support. Avon is the largest supporter of the breast cancer cause in the
U.S., donating over $100 million since their Breast Cancer Crusade began in 1993. Because of their work, many underserved women receive mammograms and clinical breast exams. In addition, Avon funds support services for breast cancer patients and survivors, financial assistance for biopsies for uninsured women, counseling, transportation, child care, educational seminars and medical research on breast cancer. I believe the work they support has saved thousands of lives…and will continue to do so in the future.
I have committed to raise $1900 to support Avon's work...and I need your help. Would you please support my walk by making a pledge? Your pledges are fully tax-deductible, and every dollar gets me closer to my goal. You can donate by clicking on the black "PledgePage" box to the left then "donate". Please keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I will train between now and September. (Also, I will be wearing shirts with names of cancer survivors and victims. Please let me know if you would like me to walk in their memory or honor--I will add their name to my shirts.)
My hope is that, through these walks, we can make a difference. It's a big challenge…but someone has to do it…if not me, who? I do not want to stand by idly, I want to be a part of the solution. Slowly but surely, through the money we raise, more people will be educated, more research will be done and more lives will be saved. Until the day "when we can cease our walking and begin to dance", I will walk.
My walker # for the NY event is 5062.
If you have questions, please e-mail them to me at: plboyle1@yahoo.com.
Please sign my guest book and let me know what you think about my PledgePage. I will try to keep the diary updated and include additional pictures from time to time.
In honor of (cancer survivor):
Edith Kroupa
In Memory of (cancer victims):
Marie Boyle
Stella Talaga