Tonight, Oct. 2 ,2009, Crissy Field looks like an army camp, but the tents are pink and the soldiers are those fighting to cure breast cancer.
Men and Women from around the country have come to San Francisco this weekend to participate in The Breast Cancer 3-day walk benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
“My New Year’s resolution was to be a part of something bigger then myself,” said Samantha Allen, who is walking in honor of her friend Becky Stevens who died after being diagnosed with breast cancer and bone cancer.
Walkers have been asked to raise a minimum of $2,300 each and some teams which were honored at the camp show on Friday night after the first day of walking had raised as much as $87,000. One individual woman, Corey Foley, raised over $36,000.
Despite the somber topic of the fundraiser and the chilly weather the participants seemed in high spirits during the camp show Friday night, proud of what they are doing and what they have already accomplished. Some participants wore prink costumes and the host cracked jokes as she explained the logistics of the camp. Participants did Karaoke, which they called the 3-Day Rock Stars, one woman sang “I Will Survive” and in the middle of her song she removed and threw a pink sparkly bra.
Not long ago “they wouldn’t print breast cancer in the paper, now you have boobs on your baseball caps,” said the host, “we have come a long way.” Since the 3-day walks began in 2004 almost $500 million has been raised.
“I have friends who that have had breast cancer. Some have made it, some haven’t,” said Angela Barber, a crewmember. Barber has participated in the event for the last four years, twice as a walker and twice as a crewmember. “Some of these women have breast cancer and some are survivors.” Barber described the closing ceremonies as being a truly emotional event, everyone is proud of what they have accomplished, “the survivors walk in last and everyone starts crying.”
The walkers began their journey with an opening ceremony at the Cow Palace, walked along the Great Highway, past Baker Beach, along part of the coastal trail and under the Golden Gate Bridge to Crissy Field, a total of 18.2 miles.
On the second day the walkers will cross the Golden Gate Bridge and walk through Sausalito and Mill Valley along the San Francisco Bay Trail. During the third and final day of walking the participants will walk through various San Francisco neighborhoods including the Marina District, Laurel Heights, the Financial District, Haight Ashbury, Civic Center and China Town before the closing ceremonies at Marina Green. In total the walkers will have covered 60 miles.
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