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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Making Strides for Breast Cancer

This morning Corey, Kelli (a friend from school) and I walked in Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk put on by the American Cancer Society. Thanks to extremely generous family and friends our team (Betty Benson's Fan Club) was able to raise $610 in only 2 1/2 weeks! Wow! I am amazed by people's willingness to give for such a wonderful cause.

At the walk there were several speakers - one of which was one of the lead researchers who brought Tamoxifen to the market for the treatment of breast cancer. He told the story of how it was initially developed as a birth control pill - but, although it prevented pregnancy in rats, it didn't work in the least for humans. The drug works to block estrogen at it's receptors. So this scientist thought - This drug blocks estrogen receptors and there are breast cancers which are fed by estrogen - perhaps this can work to treat those cancers. And this mistake was turned into a "miracle drug" which has saved thousands of women's lives. What an amazing story!

It was great to see all the people who were walking and the effort they put into the walk. Several were wearing costumes (it was Halloween after all). Others made team t-shirts which said who they were walking for. Some were decked out completely in pink - from a pink shirt, skirt, and tights to neon pink wigs with big pink sunglasses.

  • A line of walkers


  • Betty Benson's Fan Club:
  • My wonderful husband who supports me in all I do:
  • Walking for my mom!

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