Continuing the Fight

General race information: racecure.org or call 952-746-1760

Move Your Feet
The Race for the Cure is open to everyone—men and women of all ages, whether or not they’ve suffered from breast cancer. But even though the race is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, it is more than simply a way to make money for breast cancer research or get some fun exercise. Just ask Laurie Whitt, forty-five, an eleven-year breast cancer survivor and one of the survivor chairpersons for this year’s race.

Whitt—who’s endured a double mastectomy and thoracotomy, as well as chemotherapy for most of the past eleven years—first participated in the Race for the Cure in 1996, just a year after she’d been initially diagnosed. She enjoyed the race so much, and was so impressed with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, that she soon started volunteering for the local chapter.

This will be her third year helping to organize special gifts and events for breast cancer survivors participating in the 5K run/fitness walk. Before this chairmanship, Whitt served as a volunteer coordinator for four years and as an office volunteer for two years.

Though she takes pride in all the roles she’s filled, Whitt is especially pleased with the positive changes she’s helped to make as a survivor chairperson. As the local race has grown—to nearly 50,000 participants last year—Whitt and her co-chair have worked on keeping the Race for the Cure focused on honoring the survivors of the disease.  — L.S.