Champions of Hope

Last Saturday, I walked in Nashville's Susan G Komen Race for the Cure and this Saturday I walked Dothan's Champions of Hope.  Both 5K events raise money for and awareness of breast cancer.  This was the third annual Champions of Hope event (they do a 5K and a cycling event).  The participant numbers seem to double each year with this year's (awesome) turn-out being around 1,700 people.  The event was smaller than Nashville's Race for the Cure, which drew an estimated crowd of 15,000, but it was much more personal/intimate.  Everybody seemed to know everybody at this weekend's event. 

I usually refer to Chapions of Hope as "my mom's breast cancer walk", because... well...  it is in a way.  My Momma is the director of the Southeast Alabama Medical Center Foundation, a non-profit that she basically started to benefit the hospital and the community in 2007. 

champions of hope came about when a Dothan resident (and a person battling breast cancer), Sandi McCool wanted to attend a local walk for breast cancer awareness.  At the time, Dothan did not have one.  So, after some drinks with friends on her back porch one night where she expressed her dream to see an event in Dothan, a friend of Sandi's contacted my Momma.  The friend knew my mom and she knew about the foundation and she knew that this would also be personal for Mom because the friend knew about my sister and breast cancer survivor Deanne.  A meeting happened in Spring 2008 and the planning began.  The first walk was held in October 2008 with about 500 participants.  Sandi's dream began to take root.  Saturday, in it's third year, the event was three times as large.  Sandi (who has yet to go into complete remission), stood on the curb as the crowd of runners and then walkers crossed the start line.  This was very emotional for her (and many around her, including my mom).  She saw her dream growing and could envision the years to follow.

I thought that just Kimi and Etta and I would be walking on Saturday, but just before the race started, Bill AND Momma said that they would walk with us.  We only walked about two of the three miles, taking short-cuts along the way so Momma could get back.  She was the lady in charge, after all.  Once we got back to the race village, Etta had the best time dancing in front of the stage.  It didn't take long for another little girl to join her.  She was the daughter of someone I went to school with (Hays Latimer).  Margaret Anne is only two months younger than Etta and she REALLY wanted to play with E.  She copied all of Etta's dance moves.  They were really cute.