Making Strides Orchard Walk

Congratulations to all Walkers and Sponsors of the 2009 Walk!

We broke the $30,000 mark and are over $97,000 for our 5 years of our Orchard Walk.

Watt Farms Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk began in 2005 as a result of my incidence with Breast Cancer in January of that same year.  As a breast cancer survivor I now look at each day a bit differently….as a gift from others who gave money for research so that thousands of women could live as survivors of this disease.  Those of us who live and work in rural WNY can help provide valuable dollars, compassion, understanding and support.  Come and walk with us, be a team leader, be a volunteer.  We survivors are a joyous group but there are too few of us and so much work yet to do.

We have dedicated one wall inside our market to our Walk and to those who have battled breast cancer.  We welcome survivors to ask for a marker and add a handprint to our wall hangings.

People often ask, “Where does the money we raise go?”  Let me tell you.  In 2008, right here in WNY, the American Cancer Society provided 5,000 one-way rides to cancer patients who needed to get to or from treatment. The AMC provided 400 free wigs to women who lost their hair due to treatments in Mary’s Wig Room.  193 women participated in our “Look Good Feel Better Program”; a program designed to help women deal with the side effects of chemo and radiation treatments and provides them with a free cosmetic kit worth about $250.  Patient Services at Roswell Park are free to anyone, providing one-on-one support and information to patients and loved ones.  Making Strides supports these programs.

The American Cancer Society currently has over $5 million dollars working on cancer research right at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, where just over $1 million dollars is dedicated to studying disparities in breast and cervical cancer in diverse population; another $2.2 million dollars of research money is at work at the University of Buffalo; and state-wide AMC has contributed over $24 million dollars to the SUNY system for cancer research.  The American Cancer Society is the largest provider of cancer research dollars outside of the US government!   That is truly amazing!

The American Cancer Society helps us Stay Well, Get Well and Find Cures and Fight Back!  Won’t you join us?

Karen Watt