[Jennelle]

Hello all -

I used to visit here regularly...not so much so anymore. Some of you might remember me, though, and I'm hoping you can help.

On January 31, 2006, a woman at my church named Ginger Howard lost her battle with breast cancer. She was 36 years old and left behind a husband and four children, the youngest of whom is only six years old. In her memory, I will be walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer on October 21-22 in Charlotte, NC. This two-day walk covers a marathon and a half (39 miles!), which is why I chose an October walk - I need the time to get my fat old self into shape!

As a walk participant, I am obiligated to raise at least $1800 for the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to provide access to care and to work toward finding a cure. They provide funding to organizations all over the country in five areas: medical research, clinical care, support services, educational and advocacy seminars, and community-based, non-profit early detection breast health programs.

Like many women, I always thought that breast cancer was solely a family thing, that one had to be genetically predisposed to breast cancer. Not true. Of the 40,000 women (and 400 men!) who die of breast cancer yearly, only 10%-15% of them have a family history of breast cancer. What does this mean? It means it can strike any of us at any time. You might not personally know anyone who has been affected by breast cancer, but I can bet you will eventually. When will you choose to help? When it hits your best friend? Your mom? Your sister? Your daughter? Or when it hits you?

Please help to support me and the breast cancer cause by making a contribution to my efforts. You can go to my personal Walk Website at http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/...s_tafId=102683 and donate online, or you can PM me with your name and address and I can mail you a donation coupon. (An aside: Did you know that every three minutes another woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with breast cancer? That's probably how long it took you to read this post.)

I appreciate your support.

Jennelle