As children of mothers lost to cancer, both of your WSB co-publishers especially appreciate those on the front lines of the fight to vanquish it – including so many in West Seattle, like the well-known West Seattle-based Breast Cancer 3Day group shown above, Team Tracy. The team’s namesake Tracy Dart is a young breast-cancer survivor. She has a challenge for you, and anyone else who sees this:

The 2010 3 Day event in Seattle is one year away. September 24-26th, 2010. I thought, why not start early in recruiting our team. Team Tracy will be back in full force this year. This past year 10 of us raised over $27,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Breast Cancer Trust.

As a whole, the Seattle 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk raised $5.5 million dollars. Not too shabby! BUT, attendance was down this year in Seattle, and we raise $3 Million less than we did in 2008. This year, I want to grow our team…and I’m inviting any West Seattlites (and beyond) to be a part of it! So many times I hear people say that they have always wanted to participate in the event, but they didn’t have anyone to walk with. That excuse can officially be kicked out the door.

So this is my call to action…as a survivor of this nasty disease…I don’t intend on lying down and waiting for someone else to raise the money. If I want to see a cure in my lifetime – I feel like we need to bring out the big guns NOW! The time is NOW – and we will not give up hope that a cure is in sight. I am setting the bar high, and I want Team Tracy to raise $60,000 this year. More importantly I want to get more people involved in this life changing 3 days – men, women, anyone 16 years of age and older, active folks, couch potatoes, vitamen takers, beer drinkers…we don’t discriminate. Here are a few reasons why I think people should get involved…

Washington State has the highest rate of Breast Cancer in the country. 2.4 million women in the United States are currently diagnosed and being treated for Breast Cancer. 40,000 women will die this year from this disease! The recurrence rate of Breast Cancer is high and normally happens within the first 3 to 5 years.

I pray that I won’t be part of that recurrence statistic…but I also know that it is a very real threat! If that day comes, I want to have no doubt in my mind that I did EVERYTHING in my power to make a difference…that I got everyone I know involved in finding a cure…and that we raised as much money as we could…to help my chances of survival – and the chances of survival for thousands of other women and men.

I’m asking for anyone who has thought about walking, to make the commitment. And I know it’s a doozie! 60 miles is a haul…and raising $2300 is no chump change. But you have a year – to train, fundraise and be a part of something HUGE!

To learn more about the Breast Cancer 3 Day, CLICK HERE!
To join TEAM TRACY…CLICK HERE!
If you have questions about the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk and joining Team Tracy – e-mail TEAM TRACY at teamtracy2010@hotmail.com

Side note: Tracy manages the new West Seattle store Cherry Consignment (featured in this WSB story), which is donating 10 percent of sale prices to the 3Day this month (which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month) – read more about that on Facebook.