Raising Awareness

This morning I participated in a 3 mile walk.  It was a walk to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness.  The walk was organized by a local financial service company, GenWealth.  It is headed by Cherie Leanza, Vice President of the GenWealth and Risa Olinsky, a Maplewood-based wellness coach.  The GenWealth Group became involved in this cause when the mother of their Chief Operations and Compliance Officer Kim DiBlasi was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in September 2011.  This is GenWealth’s second annual walk and in the two years of its existence, they have raised over $15,000.

The day began with a pre-walk breakfast.  All participants received commemorative team t-shirts and special gifts and prizes donated by local merchants.  All funds raised will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, (BCRF.) The BCRF’s mission is “to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. Currently, 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs.”

I learned today that, on average, a woman in America will die from Breast Cancer every 13 minutes and 39,620 women are expected to die from breast cancer in the U.S. during 2013.  Today was not only about raising funds for The BCRF but more importantly, it was about raising awareness because,

“With over 3 million women battling breast cancer today, everywhere you turn there is a mother, daughter, sister, or friend who has been affected by breast cancer.”  Betsey Johnson