Aiding in the continued research for the cure of and paying tribute to the brave women (and men) that have battled or are currently battling breast cancer, The Orchards Group’s Stacy Wheelus knotted up her walking shoes for a three day, 60 mile walk, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for a Cure, October 21 to 23. Stacy, the active adult homebuilder’s Social Director, has had several family members and friends affected by the disease, which is estimated to affect one in eight American women.
Participation in the walk requires a $2,300 minimum fundraising commitment per walker. Stacy reached out to The Orchards Group’s homeowners to help raise those funds. The homeowners came through with astounding support of her efforts, raising 95 percent of the total $2,400 she was able to raise. Stacy’s friends and family helped with the remaining funds.
The day after the walk, Stacy felt just slightly stiff but was in excellent spirits. “You can’t help but feel great after the walk, it is such an uplifting event,” says Stacy. The event includes cheer teams and stations all along the way to keep walkers motivated. “The cheer sections really keep you pumped up. When you think you can’t go one more mile, you pass a group of volunteers cheering you along, supporting you, and that gives you the burst of energy you need to keep going.”
Stacy says she will definitely do the walk again next year; and now that she’s a veteran of the event, she’ll take with her some “secrets of the trade” for next year’s walk, like how to avoid blisters.
Compared to other types, the breast cancer death rate is the second highest after lung cancer. Yet, in 2010, more than 2.5 million survivors celebrated the end of their battle with this terrible disease. Since 1982, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure has invested more than 1.9 billion towards the fight against breast cancer, becoming one of the world’s largest grassroots networks of breast cancer survivors and activists.
While she met her fundraising commitment, Stacy can still accept donations on her donation page to help find a cure through the end of November.