Anona's Army

Today I ran the Race for the Cure. For any who don't know what that is, it's a race in honor of the women who have fought and are fighting Breast Cancer. I think I heard someone say there were 18,000 runners and walkers there today. A few times during the run I looked behind me and saw the huge mass of people. It was an incredible sight to see all those people banding together for a great a cause. Most people were running in memory of a loved one. I was part of a group called Anona's Army. Last November a special friend of our family passed away from Breast Cancer. To honor her, my Mom and sister Tami joined the group named in her honor-Anona's Army. It is comprised of other friends from my mom's neighborhood and ward.

Anona wasn't the only one in my thoughts today. My Grandma Stocking (my Mom's mom) also died of breast cancer, and Joel's Grandma Walker (his Mom's mom) also had it. We also have a friend, Jen Burkman, who has been fighting it. She is Joel's boss, and we just love her. She is in remission right now, and we're hoping it's for keeps.
It was easy to get a little emotional. Just thinking about the wonderful women in my life that fought this disease was heart wrenching enough. But seeing the other participants and reading things like "In celebration of my Mommy!" and seeing all the signs that said "In Memory of..." made my eyes well up with tears. It was only a 5k, which for my older sisters and brother is nothing compared with the marathons they're addicted to running, but since I'm a little out of shape I got a little tired toward the end. But I thought about all these women, and I just couldn't give up. I kept going for them.

The mood at the recent was far from somber. People were smiling and laughing and celebrating life. There were a few things there that I think could only be acceptable at this race. For example, we saw a group of guys and girls sporting frilly pink bras on the outside of their shirts. I saw a sign that read "Simply the Breast!" My mom read one that a group of people from West Jordan had that said "Breast Jordan." There were others that were pretty funny too.

It was a very fun experience, and my family plans on making this a tradition. It's a great way to honor the women who have fought and are still fighting Breast Cancer.