Avon walk for Breast Cancer

Dear Friends and Family,

Did you know that every three minutes another woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer? I didn’t, and I was shocked to learn how prevalent this horrible disease has become in this country. In November 2005 my mom become one of those women. As I watch her go through her treatments I feel helpless, wanting to help, to make things better and to stop the suffering. With that I have committed myself to doing something about it, and I’m writing to ask for your help.

On September 16 – 17, 2006, I’ll spend the weekend walking, along with thousands of other people, in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will walk approximately 39 miles, or a marathon and a half.

I will spend the next eight months training, fundraising and preparing for the event. It’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on, but I’m very excited about doing it because I know it will make a real difference to the millions of people affected by breast cancer.

The money raised goes to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a 501(C)(3) public charity whose mission is to provide access to care and to work toward finding a cure. They provide funding for organizations all over the country in five areas: medical research, clinical care, support services, educational and advocacy seminars; and community-based, non-profit early detection breast health programs.

On a bit of a side note, I was pleased to discover that the Avon Foundation has an official policy that no funds raised through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade program will be used to support breast cancer research projects involving the use of animals. You’ve got to like that.

I’m required to raise at least $1800 to participate in the walk, I have set a personal goal of $2500. Please help to support me and the breast cancer cause by making a contribution to my efforts. You can make your donation online by logging on to www.avonwalk.org and then click on “donate.” My participant number is 661411. You can check my personal webpage on the Avon site to check my progress and for other ways you can help raise funds for the walk.

And remember when making your donation, that in less than the time it took to read this letter, another woman in the U.S. was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Thank you for your support.


Rachael Paschal