Weekend to End Breast Cancer 2009

For the last few years, a few days each summer have been dedicated to individuals who come together and walk for a cause during the Weekend to End Breast Cancer across our nation in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer benefiting BC Cancer Foundation. During one amazing weekend, August 14-16, 2009, you will unite with thousands of women and men to walk 60km in 2 days or 30km in 1 day, in the fight against breast cancer and other women’s cancers. The money raised will go to benefit BC Cancer Foundation.

It’s a long walk, but the journey to get diagnosis, treatment and support for all cancers that affect women is an even longer road for any woman and her loved ones. I recently caught a message from Helen on Twitter about her fundraising efforts and I thought that it was the perfect time to learn more about the event and how anyone can get involved.

Photo credit: Aristocrat on Flickr

Helen is a mother, wife, and nurse who will taking part in her first Weekend to End Breast Cancer this summer in Vancouver. “I’ve always been curious about it,” said Helen. “This year is the first year that I felt like I could commit to the required fundraising effort (minimum $2000 per walker) and the two-day walk.”

Participants have a great support system that help them prep for the walk as well as fundraising tips. “I attended an orientation last night and I’m really inspired now. It’s incredible to know how much this walk has improved breast cancer research in BC and all the people it has affected. I am so excited to be a part of it for the first time.” Helen also has a very personal connection to the cause, “I lost a very dear aunt about 10 years ago to breast cancer. She died before getting a chance to see her daughters marry or to be a grandma to their 4 children.”

I think each one of us has been touched by this in one way or another and by sharing personal stories or at least making personal efforts to contribute, inform, and make a change in our own lives, helps just a little bit more.

“Since I’ve started my fundraising, I’ve been amazed to hear how many people have been touched by this terrible disease,” noted Helen who had an original goal of $2,000 but is hoping to push that up to $4,000. “I decided I want my husband to join me on the walk, and he’s told me he will if I can raise another $2000.” Helen has until August to meet her goals and she’s come up with several unique ways to get her there.

“I’ve been trying a few different methods to kick-start my fundraising. The first was to ask all my online crafter friends from Etsy.com to donate products for me to auction off on my blog, with donations going straight to my online donations page. This has been going great. I’ve had some wonderful things donated. People are so generous and I’ve enjoyed promoting their businesses for them, so it’s a win-win.” She is also running several auctions, which you can get to from her website, Triage From Home.

She is also planning a garage sale at her home for the weekend of March 28th and 29th. “I’ve been out delivering flyers in my neighbourhood asking for donations of unwanted items and advertising on Craigslist.” Helen said that she’s been getting a great response from Craigslist alone, “My garage is quickly filling up with stuff and I’m kind of worried about how much time it’s going to take me to sort through it all!”

All proceeds from the auction and garage sale will go straight to her Walk fund, along with funds raised from a few other fun projects, including breast cupcakes and awareness ribbon cookies.

Photo credit: extra_chrisb on Flickr

To contribute any items to the garage sale (which comes with perfect spring cleaning timing) or if you would like to purchase a cookie from Helen, you can contact her through her website. If you would like to contribute to Helen’s effort directly, you can do so through the Weekend to End Breast Cancer website or learn more and feel free to join Helen and thousands of others when they walk in August.

Update, August 13, 2009: The event is only a few days away and official “Cheering Stations” have been announced so that non-participants can encourage those doing the walk.

Cheering Stations – Saturday August 15th (Day 1)

Cheering Stations – Sunday August 16th (Day 2)

The opening ceremonies are at 8:00am at the Rocky Mountaineer Station then there will be lunch and entertainment from 11:00am – 1:00pm at Harbour Green Park. At camp that evening there will also be activities from 4:00pm – 8:00pm in Killarney Park.

On Sunday breakfast will be from 6:00am – 7:00am with walkers leaving the camp by 8:00am. Lunch will be from 11:00am – 1:00pm at Quilchena Park and the closing ceremonies will be at 3:00pm at the Rocky Mountaineer Station.