I’m taking a little bit of a break from my regular posts to ask for your help with something:

This year, for the third time, I’m walking in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, a 60-km (36-mile), 2-day walk, raising money to combat breast cancer and other women’s cancers. In 2007, I walked with my mom and my sister Esther; last year, Mom, Colin, and I walked together; and this year, Mom, Esther, Colin, his mom Nancy, and I are all going to walk. (Here’s a recap of the 2008 walk, and here’s 2007.)

And… the walk is next weekend! (Yes, it’s amazing how quickly the summer is going.)

In order to walk, I need to raise $2000, and as of today, one week from the walk, I’m still $800 short. This year’s been a tough one, fundraising-wise, which isn’t surprising, and $800 seems like a lot, but I also know that I have a great, supportive community of people surrounding me. I’m asking you to step up and help me out in the last few days of preparation this week, whether you can give $10, $25, or $100. Whether you can sacrifice a couple of coffees at Starbucks or a couple of movie tickets, every bit helps, and it goes a long way. The money raised goes directly to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and the impact of the Weekend over the past few years has been absolutely phenomenal. (Check out the website for specific information about where the money goes.)

We have a weekend full of training walks, and then a busy week ahead of us, and Saturday morning, we’ll head out bright and early (more than likely with pink hair, as is our tradition!) with thousands of other men and women from Calgary and beyond, because, “Breast Cancer is hard. Walking isn’t.”

Please visit my profile page, where you can donate any amount you choose (and all donations over $10 are tax deductible), and where you can also see the story of why I’m walking and why this is important to my family. We’ve been touched by breast cancer in several generations, and we walk in hope and faith that we, along with our circle of family and friends, can make a difference, and that the funds we raise will improve patients’ lives, fund research, provide treatments, and so many other important services.

Colin and I, stopping for a quick break halfway through the walk last year.

We wore the names of each of our donors on our packs--the pink things are individual ribbons with each name written on it. You really are with us every step of the way!

Thank you in advance for your help, and be sure to watch for an update (with lots of pictures!) when the walk is over!

(And thanks for letting me hijack my own blog to ask for your help with this. We’ll get back to the usual posts soon!)

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