A small team of local women is trying to do its part to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer. The group of six will be participating in the BC Cancer Foundation's The Weekend to End Breast Cancer, which takes place in Vancouver Aug. 19 to 21.
Team leader Laura Lazaridis and teammates Lauren Fraser, Tonya Motyka, Leslie Hallam, Bronwen Thorburn and Carla Wilkie will be joining thousands of other men and women at the event to each walk 60 km in two days, raising money and awareness for breast cancer programs.
"Our team goal is $18,000," said Lazaridis. "Right now we are at $11,751."
The group, calling themselves "Team Peek-a-Boobs" has already held two "fun-raisers" in 樱桃视频and is planning another for Whistler.
"Our first way of receiving money was to email everyone we knew," she said. "We told them we needed $2,000 each person to participate in the walk.
"Everything donated over $10 and we gave a tax receipt," she added. "A lot of people donated directly to us like that. We also did a night at the Ocean Port Hotel with a "Think Pink" theme, as pink is the colour for breast cancer. People dressed up in crazy clothes, we had pink drinks and a DJ."
On Saturday (June 25), the team held a car wash, as well.
"And on July 31 we are doing a bottle drive in Whistler," Lazaridis said.
This is the second annual Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk in Vancouver. In 2004 the event raised more than $7 million when 2101 wallkers took to the streets. The walkers this year will be supported by volunteer crew members who will provide meals, water and snack stops along the 60 km walk, as well as provide gear transport, portable restrooms, medical services and a campsite complete with tents and hot showers.
Lazaridis said the 60 km walk won't be the hard part.
"We are all pretty athletic, so the 60 km doesn't seem as daunting as raising all that money," she said. "We definitely will make it, though."
Larazisis' own mother survived two brushes with breast cancer, making the event resonate even more for the Peek-a-Boobs' leader.
"She has been a huge support," she said. "She lives in New Brunswick and has been doing fundraising for me," she said. "My family all lives there, and they have been doing breakfasts and selling ribbons to help make money for the team."
She said the team will most likely continue to participate in the event in future years.
"It is pretty time consuming and a pretty good cause," she said. "I think it will be a pretty emotional experience and that we will do it again next year."
You can still donate to the team by clicking to www.endcancer.ca and donating to a single member of the team, or call 604-684-WALK (9255).
