It is interesting how people are motivated by different experiences in life. Some are motivated by money, personal success, or the benefit of others.
Things motivate me in different ways. Sometimes a single cause can motivate me a multitude of ways. For instance, I was motivated to have the Recorder be a sponsor of this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Central Indiana primarily to help spread the word about breast cancer and to get more African-Americans involved in helping to fight this terrible disease. My motivation to participate was also personal.
Within the past four years, two of my family members were diagnosed with breast cancer. Though each of their cases was discovered at different times, both sought aggressive treatment to fight the cancer by undergoing chemotherapy and also getting mastectomies. My aunt died two years after she developed breast cancer and my cousin is now in the fight of her life because this week she learned the cancer has now spread to her lungs.
So for me, cancer is personal and it is very real. It has hit home for my entire family time and time again.
Cancer is an ugly reality that we all should be concerned about – even those of us who are fortunate to not have a personal connection to the disease.
Here are some startling facts:
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in the United States (lung cancer is the first).
The two biggest breast cancer risk factors are being a woman and getting older.
Ninety to 95 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.
Breast cancer is not just a woman’s disease. Two thousand men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
Though white women are more likely to develop breast cancer, Black women have a significantly higher rate of death from the disease.
So as terrifying as breast cancer can be, there is hope and that hope lies in the hands of every person with a modicum of compassion and dedication. Through initiatives such as Race for the Cure, organizations like Susan G. Komen can attack breast cancer in the areas of research, community outreach, services, education, advocacy and global work. The key, however, is that Susan G. Komen can’t do it alone. The organization needs the help of the community.
Here’s where you come in.
You can help save lives by participating in the Central Indiana’s Race for the Cure. The Recorder has a team and I invite you to join our team as we race towards a better, more hopeful tomorrow. The race is April 20 at 9 a.m. at Military Park. Registration is $28, which includes a T-shirt to be worn on race day.
If you lack the personal motivation to participate for yourself, think of the thousands of lives that are lost every year to breast cancer. Any one of those lives could have been someone you love, or even you. It is time for our community to show how truly engaged we are and how much we want to combat cancer. To be part of the Recorder team, call Alisha James at (317) 924-5143 or email Assistant@indyrecorder.com.
Not only will we have tons of fun on April 20, but we will also make a tremendous impact on the community.
I look forward to the big event because I will be walking for not only my family members and friends, but also for a cure. My cousin’s recent diagnosis will make each step I take that much more meaningful.
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
