Catia Bitching Cancer

On November 9-11, 2007 the nine members of Team Sabita participated at the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day. We walked 60 miles in 3 days in support of the fight against breast cancer.

The 2007 San Diego 3-Day began with emotional opening ceremonies at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, during which we were called to say out loud the names of our heroes, the ones we were walking for and with. As we started walking, we soon realized that we would encounter many supporters along the way. Many of them called themselves “walker stalkers” because they literally stalked us throughout the 3 days, following us along the route with their bikes, motorbikes, cars, feet (!). Some of them are regulars of the San Diego event, like “Smile Guy and Little Grin,” a father-daughter duo dressed up in Smiley-pajama pants, cheering the walkers with a megaphone at the “du-du-du-du-du-du…CHARGE!” tune, and distributing stickers. In our walk along the beachfront there was a ton of community support, including two spunky girls dancing on top of their car and two Texas CowBelles with their cow-buggie and cow-jokes following us around. The San Jose Police was also among the regulars: these guys have been driving down from San Jose for many years, carrying their bikes down to San Diego in a big truck and then making sure we were safe and happy along the route. Several humorously-decorated vans (from the “peace mobile” to the more audacious “pimp mobile”) kept driving by our side, ready to pick up exhausted or injured walkers. Wit abounded, indeed, as well as blisters, but we were also reminded of the deadliness of this disease when we saw two daddies and their two little girls distributing candy to the walkers, beside a sign that said “I miss you mom.”

The slogan of the 3-Day is “because everyone deserves a lifetime” and we were constantly aware of the tragedy of breast cancer, as well as other types of cancer. One woman we met along the route was walking with the picture of her brother, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, and her dad, who on his son’s birthday had shaven his head in solidarity. Then there was a group of women humorously dressed up as prom queens: they belonged to the Young Survivors’ Coalition, an organization of women who were less than 40 years old at diagnosis. Many of the teams also sported t-shirts with pictures of their loved ones, women and men of all ages, who died of cancer.

After many long walking hours, a few enjoyable and panoramic rest stops, we arrived at the camp and set up our tent, among the sea of pink tents. A peace flag and Sabita’s photograph made our tent markers. We hungrily devoured our hot dinner under huge canopies, took a hot shower in big trucks, and visited the rest of the camp: the 3-Day store, the post-office, the tv-space, the stretching area, the foot massage tent, or the medical tent. When a speaker announced the arrival of the last walker to the camp, a 3-Day flag was raised to show that all had finally come home for the night.

Day 2 saw us waking up, having breakfast and starting our walk way before the crack of dawn. While still yawning, we kept our eyes open to spot the nearest coffee shop along the way, and enjoy our daily hot latte. After-hours didn’t lack entertainment and some of us even danced to 80s music, after having walked another 21 miles that day. On night 2 we also offered a standing ovation to welcome 17 researchers from North Africa and the Middle East, who had come to witness the 3-Day and walk with us for some of the time. As darkness fell over the camp, we caught a view of a big white tent, circled by smaller white tents on top of a hill overlooking the ocean. It was the ‘remembrance tent’, set up in memoriam of 3-Day walkers who could no longer walk with us. The smaller tents represented all the cities in which the 3-Day is held, covered with names and dedications by walkers in each city. Inside the big tent, a smaller tent for San Diego was set up and people came in to write the names of their loved ones. Along the sides, pictures of women who had walked or signed up to walk in San Diego but died before being able to, reminded us of the fragility and uncertainty of this life. Notebooks on a table hosted the reflections of those who needed a page to express their sorrow and tell their memories.

Along the way, our team was greeted by our personal supporters, who came down from Long Beach and other cities to cheer us. We were glad to stop and get warm hugs and group pictures with Ann Thomas, Sue Metzmaker, Geri Winters, Donna Corpolongo, Chris Williams, Sly Mallory, Kelly Luther, Neil, Cecilia and Patrick Navin, Mark, Jordan, Cassidy and Felix Powers, Phil, Alana, Julie, Bella, and Cooper Giesen, and Alessandro Hardy. Cecelia Lynch and Tom, Brigid and Aidan Warnke provided a surrogate loving family for Alessandro while Bruce and Catia were off to the walk.

At the closing ceremonies on day 3 at Petco Park survivors were given pink t-shirts, while fellow walkers and supporters donned white t-shirts. The stark contrast between people in white and people in pink made us all even more aware of the impact of cancer in our lives. As we prepared to enter the park, the two survivors in Team Sabita bonded with fellow survivors as we listened to each other’s stories. As we walked toward the park we saw hundreds of people lined up to greet us, tears in their eyes, stunned by the number of pink t-shirts they were seeing. Finally, our fellow walkers symbolically took their shoes off and raised them to salute us as we entered the park. It was our turn to be moved to emotional tears.

Our team parted from each other somewhat reluctantly, but as we said good-bye we knew we were ready to repeat the feat: Team Sabita will walk again, and we invite everyone whose life has been affected by breast cancer, everyone who loves someone who has breast cancer, everyone who simply wants to contribute to a worthy cause, to join us as we walk 60 miles in 3 days, next year, in San Diego.

We wish to thank you, our friends and families, for your support: for coming to cheer us, for donating to our team, for buying our tomatoes, for taking care of our children, for training with us, for listening to us, for praying with and for us. We feel blessed and thankful.

Collectively, the members of Team Sabita raised over US$ 27,000 to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. The San Diego 3-Day and its 4,600 participants raised a total of US$ 12.3 million for the cause. Komen for the Cure is the largest US organization devoted to research, education and advocacy against breast cancer, second only to the US government in funds spent in the fight against this disease. The National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund provides support for breast cancer initiatives including research, treatment, prevention and education. The NPT Breast Cancer Fund is an endowment, which will ensure that the cause receives long-term, continuing support irrespective of gifting activities in years to come. Both organizations sponsor programs at the national and international level. Moreover, some of the money raised at the San Diego 3-Day will be used locally to help many women avoid being faced with “the choice between chemotherapy and rent.”

For pictures, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/teamsabita