They are in it to end it!
Team Happy Hour Fit Club of Rossmoor will join thousands of women and men in the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Santa Barbara, raising funds and awareness that will help defeat breast cancer and support those facing the disease.
Happy Hour Fit Club has set a fundraising goal of $21,600 and has surpassed that goal thanks to personal, corporate and local mom and pop shop donations.
The team includes Happy Hour Fit Club owner Kerrie DaVanon along with Jen Capaci , Celeste Dudderar, Lynne Kass, Jennifer Fudal, Helen Silverman, Shelly Van Rozeboom, Kelly Das, Mindy Himba, Corrie Hooykaas and Amy Brown. Together they will participate in the non-competitive event. Each walker will complete a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over the weekend of Sept. 6-7.
“Thanks to thousands of people like the members of Happy Hour Fit Club we are able to save lives by providing significant funds for vital breast cancer research as well as access to care, screening, support services and education,” said Carol Kurzig, President of the Avon Foundation for Women, the public charity that produces the events. “In these difficult economic times, the funds raised are more important than ever. More people are without adequate insurance, and breast cancer organizations are losing funding.
“The continued commitment of those who participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer events gives us hope that one day we will know a world without breast cancer.”
The Avon Walk Santa Barbara is one of nine weekend walks taking place this year. Happy Hour Fit Club was inspired to take part in the Avon Walk Santa Barbara because the impact breast cancer has had on those they love.
Kerrie DaVanon’s mother and walker Lynne Kass are breast cancer survivors.
Funds raised by Happy Hour Fit Club and the thousands of other Avon Walk participants are awarded by the Avon Foundation for Women, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to help make sure anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis gets the care they need regardless of their ability to pay, and to help find a cure for breast cancer.
Since the series was launched in 2003, more than 120,000 participants in the Avon Walks have raised more than $320 million to support leading cancer centers, research institutions and community-based organizations in the Walk regions and nationwide. For a complete list of Avon Foundation for Women funding, visit www.avonfoundation.org.
The Avon Walks are non-competitive weekend fundraising walks for all fitness levels that require a significant commitment from participants. Each walker is required to raise at least $1,800 in donations and undertake months of training to prepare for the event, which offers the option of walking a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over two days.
Fundraising for members of the Crew is optional, but many choose to raise funds, in addition to providing vital support for the event all weekend. Among the participants’ ranks in 2009 were men and women of all ages, from 16 to their 80s, including more than 2,000 breast cancer survivors, from all 50 states and numerous other countries. This large, diverse group was united by their shared desire to eradicate breast cancer and help those touched by the disease.
Happy Hour Fit Club will start their Walk weekend with an opening ceremony early Saturday morning, and then spend most of the day walking. Both walkers and volunteer Crew spend Saturday night at the “Wellness Village,” featuring two-person sleeping tents, hot showers, prepared meals and support services.
On Sunday, all walkers set out on the route again, with their final miles culminating in an impactful closing ceremony, including the presentation of local grants so funds immediately benefit deserving medical centers and breast cancer organizations in the community. For more information or to register for an Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, visit www.avonwalk.org or call 888-541-WALK.
DaVanon offered the following tip: “Remember to make breast health a priority and discuss breast cancer screening with your doctor. Make informed decisions about when you should start mammography.
“Get to know your risk and risk reduction strategies. For more information and resources, visit www.cancer.org (keyword breast cancer) or www.avonfoundation.org, where you can access free informational literature.”
