It was a cold raining Saturday in October. Driving by all you can see is pink. Pink everything; Pink hair, pink shoes, pink socks, pink on people’s faces, pink on dogs. Everywhere you look you saw pink. You have to get there early if you want a good parking space. We got there about 8:30 the event didn’t start until 9. When you first get there you don’t know what to expect. At first there was not a lot of people there, I don’t know if it was because we were early or if it was because of the rain. But once it started to slow down on the rain more and more people started to come.
When you walk in you walk through the arch of pink and white balloons. You see all the sponsors’ tables all around. They are there to give you information and for you to also buy things that are related to the cause, all the money goes right back to the society. As we stand outside waiting for the actives to begin it’s started to rain. You see everyone running to get under the gazebo to try and stay dry. Everyone is crowned in this little area, when you’re in that small of a place you get to meet people and learn things about them.
Everyone there is for one reason because someone important to them has battled this battle and has either survived or lost their life to it. After the rain stops, the event really begins to start. They start the music and everyone is dancing. They have their special dance group that comes every year and does a few dance numbers. The dictator of the cancer society asks for all the survivors to come up on stage so everyone can show their support to them. After a few stories and a few more dance number the walk begins. We make a tunnel for the survivors to walk through as they walk to the pink and white balloon arch.
They are the first to walk through once the walk begins, because after all we are there for them. As we walk you see sign all over giving you information about the disease and what companies have helped with the event. They have police directing traffic, because there are so many people we all could not make it through without someone getting hit or cars not letting us through. It is so funny when you see all of the walkers walking it look like a sea of pink. The stories that were told were very touching from the survivors. I interviewed Shirley, (my grandmother) who has been cancer free for four years.
And they story she told me makes me cry but yet grateful at the same time. She was told on her birthday that she had breast cancer. She told the doctor, “This is not the type of present I wanted for my birthday”. But I can remember her crying a lot and our family crying a lot because we were uneducated on the cancer and the risk. We tried to stay strong for my grandma and helped anyway possible. My aunts used to call my grandma smurf because of the kemo made her skin turn blue. I asked my grandma had did she feel when she first found out, she said that she was more surprised than anything.
Seeing how strong my grandma was during this time and all the support she needed and had made me realized that not everyone has this type of support. The cancer society was started in the 1950s due to researchers trying to learn more about cancer and, to educate the public on the risks and the sign to look out for. They cancer society still to this day is doing more, and more research to find cures for all different types of cancer. The cancer society provides both support and information to those who want and need it. There are lots of businesses who sponsor this walk.
Kim, from Stryker said that her company sponsors this walk every year. And she has had four people in her life that have battled and still are battling this disease. But recently her mom passed away due to it. My mom and I started this walk 4 years ago when my grandma was diagnosed with this cancer in June 2008. Dennis, (who is a first time walker) said that he didn’t really know what to expect he thought that it was just going to be a group of people walking. He didn’t expect there to be dancing or face painting for the kids.
My mom and I knew what to expect we come every year, but it seems no matter how many years we have come it still is just as great as the first time. Beckie, (My mom) says the reason why she comes back year after year to show support for those who have no support at home. To show that there are still good caring people out in this world. That no matter what you do have people who support you. There are many ways people can help and get involved with the cancer society and the things that they stand for. People can go to the cancer society’s office which is off Milham road in portage.
They can go online and do research on how to help in their community. People can volunteer to walk for the cancer society. People can volunteer to drive patients to and from appointments if they can’t get a ride. They can go keep someone company for a few hours. They don’t want money spent on them they just want someone to be there to talk to them so they don’t feel alone. The cancer society does not just do breast cancer walks they have this walk called “relay for life”. That walk celebrates all type of cancer survivors and raises awareness and the different types of cancer that effect people.
Crystal Perish, the dictator of the cancer society says “the goals and values of the cancer society are to raise awareness for all cancers. So show people that there is support out there for them. ” Also “to show the value of life is important. ” Even though my grandma has been cancer free for 4 years she still fights that fight right along with all the other cancer survivors. Did you know that you are not a cancer survivor until you have been cancer free for five years? I think that is crazy, if you have survived it for a few months or many years you are a survivor to me.
Not many people get through the first few months. To see how hard it is on you and your family and how much it takes out of you, I believe you are a survivor no matter how long you are cancer free. I have more respect for the survivors and their families because I have seen the struggles and the hardship. Find them to be standing up there speaking and some being cancer free for six plus years that is amazing. It does my heart good to look around while they are talking and see all the people most strangers to the survivors but to show support for them is awesome.
At the end of the walk you can hear people cheering you on because you finished the walk and you helped support in such a little way. You see everyone who started the walk at the end. They give thanks to everyone for joining for yet another successful walk this year. You can stay for snacks and drinks if you want. They have a live band every year at the end of the walk for those who want to stay and celebrate more. Over all it is a great experience that I think everyone would enjoy to go to.