Walk for Hope

Last Saturday (10/4/08) I participated in the San Francisco Walk for hope walk.  I was the team captain for my company and had been working hard the last 6 weeks to get people to signed up for this event because I was given the challenge by our corporate office to get the largest team.  This was our first year participating in this walk and so I knew I was in for a challenge.  Thanks to a great team at the office and an amazing boss we were able to get over 110 walkers to sign up for the race and we raised over 12,800 dollars for this event.  Thanks to some amazing friends and family members I was able to reach my goal at raising over $1,000. We were the 3rd largest fund-raising company which I feel was pretty amazing considering it was our first year doing this event.  I was excited for this event to take place and was a little nervous because I wanted it to be a success for my company and those involved.  I wanted those that were walking to enjoy it because after all they paid to walk in this race with their own money and I did not want them to feel like it was a waste, especially with today's economy.  Not to mention I wanted everyone to have a good time so they will want to do it again next year and have their co workers and friends join them.  I was a little worried at how the day would go because as I left my house at 5 am to set up it was raining and it was suppose to rain all day according to the weatherman.  Needless to say this was not going to be good but I think all those that have lost their battle to breast cancer had a little one on one meeting with the big guy upstairs and told him that today in SF it was not going to be a day for rain.  Needless to say I think he listened and it ended up being a beautiful day.  by the time the walk started there was not a drop coming down, the closed were starting to part, and the sun was coming out to shine on all of those were walking for hope and celebration.  I was walking with a couple of my co workers and we started the walk a little late but that was fine with me because this walk did not have a 1st place winner because everyone walking was a winner.  It brought joy to my heart and few tears to my eyes to see all these people walking for such a great cause and to see all the people from my company walking in their red t-shirt (red is our companies color so that is why the t-shirts were red).  Some of those that were walking were survivors, some had lost loved ones and were walking for them and some were fighters who are still fighting their battle.  I could not help but be thankful to not only being able to take part in such an amazing event but thankful for the healthy body that I have and realizing in a world full of so much pain and negativity that I am lucky and blessed for all that I have been given.  There is a co worker of mine that signed up to walk in this event but her mother was was just diagnosed with breast cancer and on Monday had a mastectomy.  Needless to say she was not able to take part in this event and on Friday before she left for work she handed me her walk tag and asked me to get her t-shirt for her in case she could not make it to the event.  She was not able to make it to the walk so as I walked that day not only was I wearing my race tag but I was holding her race tag because I was walking for her, her mother, and all those others that are and / or were fighting.  As I crossed the finish line under a arch of pink balloons and given a little medal for completing this walk I was overjoyed that I had a chance to be part of such an amazing, worthwhile, and joyous event.

After everything was cleaned up from the event and I was driving home it started to rain and I could not help but say a little pray of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for letting it stay dry for our walk and for letting me part of such an amazing day in a beautiful city!    I got home and feel into my bed and cried a little.  Not sad tears but tears of joy and gratitude because I was able to take part of the success that my company had at this event but most of all because I had the chance to celebrate and give hope to others and nothing feels better than being able to give!