Women all over the Wichita area are counting down the days until the 2009 Race for the Cure, Saturday, September 26th. Thousands are out there training and raising money to support breast cancer research and education in Kansas.
Wichita Junior League is and has been an integral partner in the Race for the Cure, since they brought the event to Wichita 20-years-ago. This year they will be honorary chair of the event, master of ceremonies, have a team in the race, and a group of volunteers helping before, during and after the race.
Amy Cox, Director of Community Relations for Jr. League of Wichita, said her mother, Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer 17-years-ago at the age of 45. Her second diagnosis was five years later. “She’s been going strong now, cancer free, since 1998. My mother and I started running for the cure her first year as a survivor – in 1993. We heard about the race and thought it would be a great way to celebrate her recovery and have a fun weekend together.”
“I started running with her while living at home during graduate school. I had never been much of an athlete. I was 23 and she was 44. I couldn’t keep up with her. My competitive nature came out and I worked hard to be able to run with her. It become one of my favorite parts of my day, after classes and her work, we would go out and run a few miles and talk about our day,” Amy said.
When Barbara was first diagnosed she was determined to continue running. After undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation treatments that made her very tired she and Amy would go out to the high school track. “Some days she could barely walk a mile,” Amy said. “Even if I knew she didn’t want to go, I tried to keep up our workout schedule. It meant so much to both of us, to be out there, breathing hard, trying to go on. That first Race for the Cure was such a celebration that she was still here, healthy again and able to run!” Amy said. They have done the race every year in either Philadelphia, Chicago, Hartford (CT) or Wichita.
Amy shared that she is training with Jamie Schmaltz, President of Jr. League of Wichita, and a few other women for not only the Wichita Race for the Cure, but for another Komen Foundation race in Dallas. “We have been walking 3 or 4 times a week, 5-15 miles. It takes a long time, but we have so much fun doing it.”
Unfortunately, there have been other women close to Amy that have suffered from cancer. “My cousin, Gwen, died from breast cancer at age 33. But two good friends close to my age have recently recovered. I think we all have a breast cancer story to tell,” Amy said. “I hope that my daughters will have many fewer stories to tell than I have.”
She believes that it is the simple things that make a difference to someone with cancer. Whether it is a card, small gift or a meal, just do something to let them know they are in your thoughts. “When one of my college girlfriends was first diagnosed I made her a CD of the fun dance music we used to listen to in college. She told me that when she was feeling badly she would listen to it and dance with her daughters, and it made her feel better.”
Statistics show that 2,000 Kansas women are diagnosed with cancer annually, and 400 of those women will not survive this disease. A breast cancer diagnosis at an early stage of the disease that is still confined to the breast, however, has a 98% 5-year survival rate.
Thousands of women, men and children will meet in the Towne East Mall parking lot and follow the course laid out through Eastborough. The 2008 Race for the Cure had more than 7,000 registrants who raised over $500,000. To register for the race go to www.wichitaraceforthecure.com.
I think we all agree with Amy who said, “I pray we are close to a cure!”
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