Passionately Pink!

On Saturday, I walked in the Susan G Komen Global Race for the Cure on the National Mall.

It was at once a joyous, heart-wrenching, inspiring, overwhelming, and empowering experience.

The Mall was a sea of pink as far as the eye could see.  It was amazing how many people came out for this walk. When I walked up to the entrance, it took my breath away.  Almost 40,000 people participated!

You start at Susan G Komen Village.  There are tents and swag bags for survivors, top fundraisers, and lots of sponsor tents with give-aways.   It mostly seems like a fun festival at first.  Since it was my first time, I went through it all.  Really they had me at free pink flip flops!  So after I collected all my stuffies, I took them back to my car so I didn’t have to drag them around all day. 

Then it was time to meet my team - my wonderful, silly Team Debbie – who showed up in Pink T-Shirts that said “I (heart symbol) Debbie” (thanks Laurie!)   It made me feel wonderful to have such great friends me walk with me – including Laura from my office who is a two-time breast cancer and ovarian cancer survivor.  Laurie who, of course, coordinated everyone;  Kimmie who was our official photographer (thank goodness since I totally forgot my camera!); Lauralee, Meredith and Sean.  They are all awesome!

It was a 5K walk (or run if you are a crazy person – there were a lot of those too).  Lauralee had pointed out to me that I could do a shorter version if I didn’t feel up to it.  I was charged up though and it was a beautiful day to be outside.  I was determined to do the 5K. (Although I am also amazed that I was well enough to do it after all I have been through since October).    DC is so beautiful to walk around in, and there was great people watching as well.  Some in the group even spied Samuel L. Jackson walking against what I would hope he would call “M***er F***ing cancer. 

The diversity of the people walking was fascinating.  It was truly an international crowd with the World Bank heading up a gigantic group of people.  There were very old and very young, all races, survivors, supporters, and a lot more men than I expected.  There were people in the standard t-shirts and people who put their own style to it with bling, boas, flamingos on their heads, people with hair and no hair (this is noteworthy for me!  I even went sans wig – a big step for me – and just a baseball cap) and crazy team shirts like ours.    My favorites were “Walkers for Knockers” and one that had a quote from a 5 yr old on the back “Mommy, when you are bald, you will look like a boy, so be sure to wear pretty earrings.”  The silliness was really fun.

Then there were people walking in memory of those lost to breast cancer.  It was a beautiful tribute but for a recent survivor, much harder to see.  One large group in particular had photos of a beautiful black woman with angel wings draw around her.  Each one said what that person’s relationship to her was.  “I’m walking for my aunt.” “I’m walking for my wife’s BFF.” “I’m walking for my mom.”   That was heartbreaking and I would be lying if I said my brain didn’t click into overdrive thinking “that could have been me.”

Of course, you look at the next person and it would be a survivor walking with signs or shirts that note how long they have been survivors – 10 years, 20 years, or my favorite – the 91 year-old-woman who was a 43 year survivor.  My brain would switch back to “that is GOING TO BE me!”

Seeing the support for the cause helps solidify my belief that – I will remain a survivor!  This walk has already raised nearly $5,000,000 for the cause for just the DC walk – and TEAM DEBBIE accounts for more than $7000 of that!  (Thank you to everyone who donated!!! It means so much to me!) 

I can’t tell you how elated I was to cross that finish line!  It was awesome! 

I am now, more than ever, Passionately Pink!  I am determined to make this walk my annual F*U* to breast cancer.  I hope you will think about joining Team Debbie next year on June 2!!