Local women join walk in fight against breast cancer

DETROIT— Two area women will join the thousands of participants walking in the fight against breast cancer during the Michigan Breast Cancer three-day walk near Detroit in September.

Mandi Lippens of Rock, and Shannon Carlson of Escanaba will participate in the event Sept. 28-30, which is a fund-raiser for the benefit of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

Lippens said it was her friend, Carlson, who got her interested in joining the walk.

“She got me into this,” Lippens said. “She is a breast cancer survivor, and she has been wanting to do this for a few years.”

Carlson was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. She heard about the event on the Internet and wanted to join the three-day, 60 mile walk. “Sept. 30 will actually be my two-year anniversary (of survival),” Carlson said. “I consider it my two-year cancer-free mark.”

As well as raising funds, the event is put on in hopes that it will educate thousands of people about breast health, including the importance of early detection.

“My hopes in doing this is that it will make people aware,” said Carlson. “I don’t have a family history of breast cancer and I was 27 when I found a lump. I want people to know that you don’t have to have a history and you’re never too young.”

Carlson said she is also doing this for her 9-year-old daughter because she knows she will have to deal with these issues someday.

For Lippens, this event is important because breast cancer runs in her family. Lippens’ great-grandmother is a 35-year survivor of breast cancer. “I’m doing this for my friend (Carlson) and for my grandma,” Lippens said. “This (event) is going to make me more self-aware and more aware of what people who have breast cancer are going through. I’m going to learn what I’m capable of.”

Thousands of Michigan residents participate in this event each year by walking and raising funds.

“I think it’s going to be nice to meet with other survivors — to meet a group of people who have something in common in the hopes of reaching out to other young women,” said Carlson. “We’re going to come out with a lot of new friends.”

Those participating in the event are required to raise a minimum of $2,200 which will go towards cancer research and community outreach programs. Participants begin to raise the money and train for the event months in advance, with the support of coaches and online assistance. Lippens said she has been training by doing a lot of walking. She has also raised $500 so far by asking friends and family if they will give her a dollar a mile.

“This way they don’t have to walk, I’ll walk for them,” she said.

Once participants sign up, a Web site is created in their name which features a marker to show how much money they have raised. Carlson has used her Web site to contact friends and family to ask for their donations and support.

“We have an opportunity to celebrate breast cancer survivorship, honor those who have lost their lives to the disease, and ultimately have an enormous impact on awareness and funding,” is a statement made by both Carlson and Lippens on their Web sites.

source : www.dailypress.net