Race Day Is Here

Wow! Where has this year gone? It's time for the 2012 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. This will be my ninth year and I'm so excited. I know we've got rain in the forecast but I'm believing for clear skies!

Here's a little background on the race and why we do what we do! Susan G. Komen for the Cure is named after a young woman, Susan G. Komen, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 and after nine operations and three rounds of chemo and radiation, died at the age of 36. Suzy's sister, Nancy Brinker, watched as her sister endured treatment after treatment during a grueling 3-year period. It's no wonder, Nancy said "yes" when Suzy asked her to promise to make changes to a system that resulted in women having to suffer pain and indignities like those she had endured.

This promise between two sisters is what this organization is founded on and the Komen vision: "a world without breast cancer" and the Komen Promise "to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures."

Tulsans joined in that Promise in 1997 when 2,000 runners and walkers laced up for the first Komen Tulsa Race for the Cure. Since that day, Komen Tulsa has hosted more than 100,000 Race participants, raised around $6 million which has been granted to organizations which offer breast health awareness, diagnosis and treatment as well as groundbreaking national research.

The theme for this 2012 Komen Tulsa Race for the Cure is "Our Race. Our Community. Our Cure." Today Komen Tulsa continues the work that began with the first Race in 1997. They are raising breast cancer awareness in Tulsa County and the eastern half of Oklahoma as well as raising funds to grant to organizations that meet the needs of women and men with limited financial means - - so that no one goes without proper diagnosis and treatment.

I'm so proud to be involved in this race and hope you will support it as well!

And I'm blessed to be a survivor!

LeAnne Taylor