Christine Marchik, Carmen Goedken, and Megan Baker are three Wartburg students who will participating in a three day cancer walk in August. Photo by Amanda Gahler
ELLEN KURT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
“Three days. Sixty miles. One goal.” That’s what Megan Baker’s Facebook status read.
Baker, along with Christine Marchik and Carmen Goedken, will be involved in a walk for breast cancer on Aug. 21-23 in the Twin Cities.
Marchik first noticed this cancer walk and became interested.
“I saw an ad for it on TV a couple weeks ago, and I was really excited. I saw just how powerful it was and thought I really want to do that,” Marchik said.
Each of them knows somebody who has suffered from cancer. Marchik has a classmate that was diagnosed with cancer and Goedken’s grandmother was recently diagnosed.
“I think a lot of people know someone who has breast cancer. It’s becoming more and more common, so when you know someone, you just want to help out,” Goedken said.
They have to raise $2,300 each in order to be involved in the walk and are taking names of cancer victims from anyone who is willing to donate $5.
“It was a little intimidating at first, because I looked online and it said you have to raise $2,300. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, per walker?’ But just kind of talking to people, it’s been really amazing how generous people have been once they hear what you are doing,” Marchik said.
Some people have been donating a couple dollars, but others are ready to donate more.
“I told my grandma, and she was all about giving as much as she could and all of her brothers and sisters want to give as much as they can,” Goedken said.
Names of people with cancer will be put either on their tent or on their shirts to show just what they are walking for.
The money they raise will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.
During Susan G. Komen’s fight, she was doing things for other people and trying to figure out how to make other people’s lives better instead of her own. Her sister promised her she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.
She launched the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fund in 1982 and it has grown to be the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting to end breast cancer.
The National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund provides support for breast cancer research, treatment, prevention and education.
“It’s really kind of exciting to be part of something bigger. It’s like why not? There are a lot of breast cancer survivors and people who are a lot less able-bodied than we are doing this,” Marchik said.
“It’s like, I’m young, I’m healthy, there’s no reason why any of us can’t or shouldn’t do this if we have the ability to.”
Goedken is walking to help her grandmother and to make her future brighter.
“My grandma just got diagnosed with cancer about a year ago, and thinking about it, okay, now it’s in my family. Technically some time in my future, I could have breast cancer. When you think about that, you just want to do everything possible that you can,” Goedken said.
“Just knowing that we’re able to make a difference is exciting,” Marchik said.