Dear Friends,

Greetings from Colorado!  I hope you are having an enjoyable summer and that your gardens and flower beds are flourishing!

I am so glad that you have arrived at my page on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk website!  I apologize for being tardy in personalizing this page, and will try to make amends by over-supplying you with information about the catalyst for my undertaking and frequent reports on my training as I prepare for this tremendous undertaking – 60 miles in three days!!

So…start at the beginning!  I have signed up to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk, to fundraise for breast cancer research and to support the incredible work that the Susan G. Komen Foundation does in support of individuals, families and communities struggling with this disease. 

I will be joining a friend, Jes Golumbeski, whom my wife, my cousins and I met when we were on an amazing Amazon River cruise in January of this year.  Jes has been participating in the Komen 3-Day Walk for several years.  She walks in memory of her mother, who passed away after a long battle with cancer.  As you know, our mom, Lena Ferguson, fought breast cancer valiantly in the 1970’s, beating the disease and living into her 80’s.  Mom lived many long and fulfilling decades beyond her fight with cancer, passing in 2014 at age 83.  But one thing you may not know about Mom’s later years is that she struggled and suffered from the complications of having had radiation therapy in the 1970s, which compromised her health over the years and eventually took her life.

This is one of so many good reasons for me to participate with this wonderful organization.  Breast cancer research and treatments have progressed significantly over the last 50 years, since my mom fought that fight.  Chemotherapies are far more targeted and effective, while minimizing side effects to the best of the ability of the current treatment technologies.  But more can and needs to be done.

This is why I’m asking for your support in my/our 3-day walk for cancer research.  We will participate in the Komen 3-Day Walk in Dallas, October 24-26.  This ambitious fundraiser challenges participants to walk 20 miles each day, for a total of 60 miles.  This will definitely be a challenge for me, putting me to the test.  But I’ve already started to train, walking, hiking and biking in Denver and in the mountains.  In fact, this is turning into a pleasure, as Colorado is such a beautiful place to work out! 

My goal of raising a minimum of $2,300 has already been reached, thanks to the VERY generous support of many friends and family since I began this fundraising effort.  However, I want to set my sights even higher, so I am aiming to raise $5,000.  But I can only get there with your help!  So many of us have been impacted by cancer, or have family, friends or co-workers who have fought that fight.  Thank you for standing with me, for supporting my 3-Day Walk efforts and for joining the millions around the world who work to achieve the end of this deadly disease!  Lets end breast cancer forever!!

Your friend, sister, cousin and more-

Maria Ferguson