Students Participate in Breast Cancer Walk

Blaire Bender, Kelsey Stout, Lauren LaBar, Megan Lax, Heather Ullrich, Shaina Torgerson, and Lauren McBride participated in the Breast Cancer three-day, a 60-mile walk that raises money for cancer research. 

In order to be involved with the walk, each participant must raise a minimum of $2300. This money goes towards fees of the walk and the rest is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research fund. This year, the walk generated over 9.5 million dollars for the fund.

Each participant can be part of a team or walk as an individual. These girls walked as “Flockers of Knockers.” They raised their money by “flocking”, as well as a booth at a street fair.

“Flocking is putting plastic lawn flamingos onto friends’ lawns along with a note
that explains why were are walking as well as telling them that in order to get
the flamingos off of their lawn, they have to donate to us, and/or give us a
name of someone else to flock,” Kelsey Stout, senior, said.

After a week or two of doing this, the flocking reached out past their friends onto people that they didn’t know. This gave them a lot more fundraising oppurtunites.

Although some of the girls just did it for the community service hours or to help the cause, a couple had a more personal connection and reason to walk. McBride walks for her mom’s patients, and her aunt who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I walked for my mom, who is now a four year breast cancer survivor and also just
because it’s fun to do the walk,” Stout said.

The walk starts at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Along the way, there are various locations where people gather to cheer on the walkers. Almost everyone involved in the walk will say this is one of the most enteraining parts. 

“Every year, there is a tiny old man in a wheel chair who wears a sign around his neck that says ‘I love boobs’. Next to him, stands an old woman dressed as a clown with a sign
that says ‘36 year survivor’. They are husband and wife and every year they come out and cheer on the walkers,” Stout said.

The 60-mile walk concludes at Petco Park, followed by a ceremony celebrating anyone who walked or participated in the event. At this ceremony, all the walkers participate in a victory walk together and speakers share their survival stories.

“The best part of the walk in at the closing ceremony when you lift up a shoe for all those who have died and the survivors. You think about how bad your feet hurt and how hard you worked, and know that none of the pain matters,” Bender said.