On January 2, 2024, my 3-day walk took on a whole new meaning.  On this day, the best sister, mom, wife, grandma, aunt, sister-in-law, cousin, co-worker and friend left this earthly world and is now our special angel in Heaven.  My sister, Sandy was the most brave, courageous, supportive and positive person anyone could know.  She loved our 3-day spirit and the bond it created for all who supported and participated.  I will miss her dearly and can't imagine my world without her in it.  Read on to hear the history of our walks and her fight against breast cancer.

2024 was a beautiful tribute to my sister in Denver.  We honored her in the Remembrance Tent as a 3 time 3-day walker, she was in the Memory mile TWICE and I had the honor of speaking about her impact in the Honor Ceremony!  And the Pink Butterflies were 10 people strong and we ranked #12 in fundraising with an impressive +$22,500 raised.  While entering the Pink Bubble without my sister was rough to start, it was apparent how she was with us in spirit and constantly inspired us to press on. Fun to have Grace in her 1st walk, Lexi and Leslie for their 2nd, and Emma at her 4th!  Kevin and Kiley were awesome cheerleaders and supporters.  Hoping to come out just as strong in 2025 back in Denver to celebrate my 56th birthday and 15th Susan G Komen and Avon walks!

Denver marked my 14th Susan G Komen 3-day/Avon Walk!  The 2024 3-day brought my official mile count to 819 miles! I’ll continue to walk until a cure is found! Under my belt is the Avon Walk in NYC in 2007 and 13 Susan G Komen 3 Day walks (Philly (3), DC, Dallas, Detroit, San Diego (2), Atlanta, Minneapolis, Boston, Chicago and Denver). 

The Denver 2025 walk is in August so plans are still in the air on who may be joining me. Either way – solo or with a team, this walk will forever be a part of me and my family.

Each year I find more and more reasons to walk, but with each step of every walk and each day of my life I pay tribute to:
1) my sister Sandy’s courage and strength. She was a  survivor for almost 25 years, battling metastatic breast cancer from 2021-2024; 
2) my best friend and walking buddy, Mariette Smith who I lost in 2013 to ovarian cancer,
3) my mom, Joycey, who passed away from Multiple Myeloma in 2005, who could never imagine the influence she has had on my life.

I am blessed to have had these 3 amazing women in my life and they all inspire me to be a better person.

2024 brought on new reasons to walk, the many friends and supporters who shared names of people I walked for, and for the first man I know to be a breast cancer survivor.  I now walk for him and all of his male survivors. 

I walk for my friends, cousins, aunts and to all those I know impacted by breast cancer (the list is too long to name);

I walk for my supporters and all those courageous and strong individuals to whom I have dedicated miles;

I walk for all related women's cancers – especially ovarian cancer, which took our precious Mariette and is so closely linked to breast cancer;

I walk for all those I love, and pray that we are never again touched by this terrible disease.

I also walk for…
My survivors and friends on the Bucks County Breast Friends who graciously invited me to be a part of their team when I was a lone Pink Butterfly in PHL 2016! Now Friends Sue, Chris and Jody!

My “Taxi” Service to the PHL 2016 Opening Ceremonies! Thank you Sharley Schooleys Angels for being my angels and delivering me to the walk after I foolishly waited for the “2nd bus”. Lorenzo, Jason, Chance, TJ, Stephen and Reed, so thankful for your kindness and friendship throughout the walk!

My Michigan one-time walking buddies, who got me through my first solo walk with their energy and passion;

A former colleague, Marge who I met in 2014. As I listened to the story of her own battle, all that shown through was her positivity, courage, determination, and her love of family and life;

For my BFFLSIS, Hendrina, another courageous survivor who I love dearly and wish was my neighbor;

For those 2 fun-loving college age boys standing next to us in full pink garb (spiked pink mohawks and all) at the 2011 PHL Opening Ceremonies. During the survivor procession, I’ll never forget how tears rolled down both their faces, their shirts plastered with photos of their mom. Now lost to breast cancer. I now walk for those boys.

For the countless pictures of loved ones lost to breast cancer that I saw on shirts, posters, signs as I walked through the streets of NYC in 2007, Philly in 2010, 11 and 16, DC in 2012, Dallas in 2014, Michigan in 2015, San Diego in 2016 and 2021, Atlanta in 2018, Minneapolis in 2019, and Boston in 2022.

I walk for the dedicated supporters at the cheering stations who seem to live to support their walker friends and family.

Plus selfishly, I walk to make my girls proud of me and to show them that it feels great to do something bold! And that people really can make a difference.

But here’s how it all began…
As you may know, my sister’s first bout of breast cancer occurred in 1999 at the age of 42. In 2006, while still grieving the loss of our mother to another form of cancer, and after being cancer free for almost 7 years, another occurrence was spotted during a digital mammography. She underwent a mastectomy and TRAM flap reconstructive surgery in April of 2006. During her recovery, a 3rd occurrence was detected and removed outside of the chest wall. She completed her chemotherapy and a second round of radiation. All in all, up until now due to technology and medical advances (and a whole lot of prayer), she was extremely fortunate for early detection. For that we were thankful. 

However, after being almost 15 years cancer free, in 2021 she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.  She was a relentless warrior that inspires me every day with her courage, strength and positivity.  I am so thankful that we had the time we did together.  She made the most of EVERY day.

I am committed to help find a cure for this disease. In addition to the walk, I am also a part of a 10 year Sister’s Study which is focused on finding the root causes of breast cancer. I believe that when the breast cancer code is cracked it will provide assistance in finding cures and preventions for all types of cancer.