Race for the Cure

My family was personally affected by cancer nearly 3 years ago when my sister found out she had breast cancer. She has been through treatments and is doing well. We pray that things will continue to go well for her.
So today was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake. My sister and others in my family have participated every year since her diagnosis. This year I decided to head up and walk with them. What an amazing experience! They had 18,000 people register. It was incredible to see people filling 5 lanes of road as far as you look both forward and backward. We enjoyed the walk, laughing over the silly saying on some of the shirts and sharing conversation and sunshine. At the end of the 3 1/2 miles everyone mingles, munches on fruit and wanders through a health fair. They gather all of the cancer survivors together and they have the parade of survivors. At the end of the parade they all stand together on a big staircase in the Gateway. I stood there watching these women and men and thinking of all they must have been through - the pain, the treatments, the sadness, the sickness, the heartache, the triumphs, the tears. I am in awe of the courage and strength they must have. It really touched my heart - it was a very moving and emotional experience for me. I was honored to be able to participate in such a memorable experience and I hope to be able to return next year.