I decided long ago to set goals for myself as part of my recovery and to encourage a healthy lifestyle. One of my goals is just around the corner. I will be walking in the 2005 LA County Komen Race for the Cure 5k in Pasadena on February 27th. I thought I would publicly invite anyone to join me for the walk or to make a donation online. We all have causes we support. This is mine. Join me if you feel moved, but no pressure.

If you would like to join my walking team, either email me or post a message here and I will get you the information right away. Decide quickly because teams need to register by Friday, February 4th. Donations will be taken up to the date of the event. This link will take you to an online donation page. If you prefer not to donate online, let me know and I will send you an address for a check.

Here is some background information to let you know how the money will be spent. The goal of the Los Angeles County Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is to prevent the working poor and medically under served from falling through economic cracks while pursuing screening, diagnostic testing or treatment for breast cancer. That right there is enough for me to get up and walk. I remember seeing people scheduling treatment around when they could afford it or having to wait longer between treatments until their blood counts came up because they couldn't afford the shots to maintain strong blood counts. I even cried as one woman silently walked out when she realized she could not afford the copay for the chemotherapy. Everyone deserves the same hope I had. Survivorship should not be determined based on financial status. In the LA County Komen affiliate, 75% of the funds they raise are used right here for free mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, and treatment. The remainder is sent back to the Susan G. Komen headquarters and used for research. I think I can walk for less than an hour so someone can have a little hope.

And just as a reminder, here are some fast facts courtesy of LA County Komen:

• When breast cancer is confined to the breast area, the five year survival rate is over 95%.
• Breast cancer is the leading cancer site among American women and is second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths
• In 2004, and estimated 215,990 women and 1,450 men were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and approximately 40,110 women and and 470 men died of breast cancer.

Run. Walk. Get Inspired. It's worth the effort.