We had a great day yesterday with our Race for the Cure team, Breast Friends Forever, at the 20th Anniversary of the North Texas Race for the Cure. We were up bright and early and headed for the the site of the Race on Legacy in Plano.
We received a $1,000 sponsorship from Massage Envy who presented us with the check prior to the Race. We also received Massage Envy gift cards for three complimentary one hour massages, team shirts, a team banner and private chair massage tent at the race.
It was pretty fantastic. By the time the Race was over and the Survivor Celebration had ended, the tent had already been taken down. We were bummed about that, but were glad to have gotten in a few pre-race massages!
After that, we spent some time at the Survivor Tent with Ana and Cathy. Hanes outfitted our team in personalized t-shirts so we tried to get a few pictures outside. However since we weren’t all together the whole time, we didn’t get a complete team photo. Here’s quite a few of us though:
Then it was time for us to get started on the walk! This next photo is courtesy of the Komen North Texas Affilate‘s Facebook since I obviously couldn’t get such an amazing shot from the ground.
We walked and talked and enjoyed catching up with one another. With all of the other things surrounding the walk, it’s easy to push the reason we are there walking a little bit farther back in our heads. Cathy is celebrating her third year as a survivor, but is still going through body changes, new medications, and treatments. I truly cannot imagine. Luckily she is positive and seems happy.
I also thought a lot about David’s mom and how it is unfair that she is not here, and how I hope that she is somewhere looking down happy and proud that we were doing this in her memory. I am sure Nikki felt the same about her Grandmother and the other women she knows who are going through it now too.
Along the way there were volunteers with water and others who were cheering for us and saying words of encouragement. We got a little bit of a later start due to all of the other things we tried to fit in before the walk, so we were some of the last ones to cross the finish line. Still, there were a few waiting for us at the end. Nikki and I appreciated that at the 3-Day too.
After we finished, Ana and Cathy headed back toward the Survivor’s Tent to line up for the Celebration and we had a minute to visit a few of the other vendors and tents. The FORD Warriors in Pink is always one of my favorites. They give away bandannas every year, and always have one of their gorgeous breast cancer Mustangs. Being that I am a former Mustang owner (sob), I obviously want one badly and ogle them pretty much every chance I get. I’m not sure I was suppose to, but I jumped into the driver’s seat. It felt like home.
The Survivor’s Celebration is always emotional, and I was proud to be there with my two friends who are beating the disease. I mentioned Cathy already, but Ana is celebrating 10 years. She found out she had breast cancer in her early 20s. She is another amazing and positive person.
I also spotted a woman in the front row who is a 50 year survivor! Oh how I wish there were more of them. Still, what a wonderful thing to see. It definitely gives me hope that it could be a reality for the rest of the women standing there someday.
After the ceremony we went to check out Elizabeth’s Garden, a place where pink tulips line the sidewalk with messages to loved ones who have passed or who are still fighting. Some of them are heartbreaking. Nikki and I walked along and read them and took photos. If you ever participate, you can purchase one for $10 when you register or pick one up at the Race.
After that, we headed toward our cars and one of the Survivor Taxis came by and picked us up. We got a grand tour of the entire complex (several times). It was really a nice day, albeit a little muggy. Still, the scenery was beautiful around the lake and it was spent in the company of good friends. What more can you ask for?
I am already looking forward to next year! This is by far my favorite of the Race for the Cure events in our area (Tarrant, North Texas, and Dallas), and it was so great to have such a wonderful team of friends to walk with.
I also want to again thank Massage Envy for the donation, and also Hanes for supporting us by donating socks for our fundraiser and t-shirts for the Race. I appreciate it so much!
Disclosure: This is not a paid post. Hanes® offered to outfit our team in customized Hanes tees and donated socks to further promote breast cancer awareness, however no monetary exchange took place. Massage Envy wrote a $1,000 check to Susan G. Komen on my team’s behalf, however I was not monetarily compensated nor was I asked to promote the details of the sponsorship.
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