when I decided to participate in my 2nd Avon Walk for Breast Cancer - this time in New York City! After the feeling I had crossing that finish line in 2009, I knew this was an experience destined to be a part of my life for as many years as possible. So, I contacted the 2009 members of Team Tit-Tastic and asked who was interested in doing another year, another $1800, another 40 miles. I'm happy to say that two veterans were interested in signing-up and kicking butt for yet another year - my dear friends of 5+ years - Erin Patterson & Courtney Simmons. While I was sad to say goodbye to the other 4 teammates, I understood their reasons for taking a year off.
So the search was on for new members...
I emailed all the women I thought may be interested and enthusiastically welcomed new members to Team Tit-Tastic - my friend of 10+ years Monica Tarzy, my colleague and good friend Chelsea Bowers, and my two dear friends Katie Stephenson and Melissa Tipton. Our team of 7 was complete, and I had a really great feeling about the drive, passion and friendship heading into this journey. After an initial meeting so everyone could get to know each other, we set forth with big plans and big hearts - so excited about the opportunity to raise a large amount of money for the Avon Foundation. We decided that for the first few months, we would each individually see what we could raise (the minimum to Walk is $1800). By sending out emails, letters and social networking posts, we were well on our way to reaching our goals, but by June, only 1 of us had successfully raised the full $1800. So, we needed another plan of attack.
It was time to start our group fundraising efforts...
The Melting Pot (a fondue restaurant in Gaithersburg, Maryland) is quite the hot spot for delicious cook-it-yourself meals and relaxing atmosphere. Luckily for us, we had a few contacts in Management who helped us organize Team Tit-Tastic's Fondue-raiser! From 5-10pm on a Monday night in July, supporters could come enjoy Ladies' Night specials, including pink cocktails and a discounted 4-course meal. The Melting Pot, a most generous business, offered our team 50% of the profit that evening, which sent us away with $1600, split evenly among the teammates to raise each of our individual totals thus far.
To reach a different crowd, our 2nd group fundraiser was held at The Greene Turtle, a local and very well-known sports bar that many of us frequent on the weekends. Team Tit-Tastic's Burgers, Boobs & Beer Night featured $10 wristbands for happy hour specials, $1 and $5 pink accessories, and free live entertainment. Thanks to our many friends who attended the evening, we successfully left with over $1500, again split evenly among the teammates to raise each of our individual totals.
At this point, it was time to start thinking about training...
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer prepares their Walkers to the fullest - with bi-weekly emails, newsletters, phone calls from "Walker Buddies," packets filled with suggestions and an entire community to converse with. In the main Avon Walk packet, Walkers are provided with healthy ways to prepare for the demanding Walk Weekend, including training modules for up to 12 weeks prior to the Walk. You are instructed to begin training with walks as short as 15 mins, and by the peak of your training, you should be able to walk 22+ miles without feeling like a wretched mess. While our entire team had good intentions and wanted to be top notch by Walk Weekend, we couldn't escape the busy lives and hectic schedules we so lovingly call our own. Most of us being athletic by nature trained by doing what we thought would work best / what we were already comfortable doing. I can only speak for myself when I say that I tried to workout each day (which ended up being about 2-3 days a week), eat healthier meals (although my portions didn't change), and stay off my butt as much as possible (rather hard to do when you sit at a desk for 9 hours each day). Nonetheless, I felt confident going into this Walk Weekend because I had completed the 40 miles once before (last year).
As Walk Weekend approached, we had much to figure out...
First, our team of 7 would become a team of 6 for the actual Walk Weekend - Melissa was 4 months pregnant and chose not to Walk (which we all understood). True to her word, she raised the $1800 she committed to, and continued to attend team meetings and participate in team email chains until Walk Weekend.
Second, we needed cars and drivers to get us to New York City and back (we could easily drive there on our own but our concern was driving back exhausted after the long weekend). Two wonderful men stepped up to the plate: Driver #1 = my boyfriend, Tim, in his parents' large van; driver #2 = Monica's boyfriend, Schyler, in Monica's parents' SUV. These men were our saviors, giving us a chance to relax on the drive up and sleep on the ride back. Not to mention agreeing to sleep on couches and park on crowded streets, just for us!
Third, we needed a place to stay in NYC on the Friday night before the Walk. We booked a hotel (expensive, but necessary) and split the team (and 2 men) up between the hotel room and my sister, Maggie's, NYC apartment. Now, if you're at all familiar with NYC, you'll know that apartments are not luxurious spaces, but my sister and her two roommates generously gave up their small space for a great cause!
Fourth, we obviously needed to complete our individual goals of raising $1800 each. After the group fundraisers, everyone was close, but not everyone was done. So a last minute effort of emails and letters and phone calls went out, and finally, every teammate had raised the required amount - and most surpassed it!
And fifth, we needed to pack everything on the Suggested Packing List (provided by the Avon Walk) to keep our bags efficiently stuffed with gear. We were each allowed 1 bag weighing up to 30 lbs, with an attached sleeping bag. If you think about it - you don't need much for Walk Weekend because all you're doing is walking and then sleeping, so packing was not difficult. Some important things we each purchased before the Walk: excellent sneakers, non-cotton socks, workout pants, under armour shirts, hats, Camelbacks, Glide and bandaids.
Finally, Walk Weekend had arrived...
As we had all taken off work on the Friday, we left Maryland around 2:00pm (a little later than planned), in order to make it to Event Eve before it closed at 8:00pm. Event Eve is essentially the check-in for the Avon Walk - you turn in any outstanding donations, receive your tenting assignment, purchase buttons and pins and Avon gear, and start getting excited for the weekend upon you. {Because I raised over $2200, I received a Top Fundraiser hat (which I wore all weekend); because I raised over $3600, I received a Top Fundraiser Jersey shirt (which I now wear to the gym).} After Event Eve (which was a madhouse), we walked around the corner and had a carbfest - pizza and pasta! Bedtime was quite early that night, as we were about to embark on one of the most challenging physical activities of our lives.
Wake up on Saturday morning was 4:00am! Some of us wanted to shower, and all of us needed to check our bags one last time (putting everything unnecessary in the cars). We put stickers on our faces, adjusted our hats, made sure all our buttons could be seen, and tied Monica-made ribbons in our hair. We looked very pink and ready to rock and roll!
Opening ceremonies was held at Pier 84...
which was absolutely freezing at 5:00am in NYC during the month of October! We huddled together for warmth as the Director of the Avon Walk spoke to us about just how far we'd all come that year - 2300 Walkers + hundreds of Crew members, medical staff, volunteers = $9.4 million raised for the Avon Foundation (in NYC alone)! As per usual, I was extremely emotional during Opening Ceremonies - listening to survivors tell their tales, listening to teenagers recall the battles fought by their parents or grandparents. I felt so honored to be part of this group of philanthropists - showing New York City that we are In It To End It! After a few light stretches, the Walk opened promptly at 7:00am, and we were off! In an interesting move, they had us walking on the paths right near the water, which was utterly freezing. Being the intelligent team that we are, no one except Monica brought gloves, so we had to make an emergency call to my parents asking that they bring 5 pairs of black gloves to us at the first cheer station. As we walked, I was not only checking out the scenic route through NYC, but also the outfits and signs of other Walking teams. 
One team - the Wellness Warriors, a team of about 20 women - had a 7-year total of over $100,000 raised! (Yes, I teared up.) A great thing about participating in the Avon Walk for multiple years is getting ideas from other Walkers and other Teams. A _-year total is definitely something I'd be interested in keeping track of for Team Tit-Tastic! (FYI: Team Tit-Tastic's 2-year total is $32,713.)
So, we started getting sore after a few miles, but nothing was too much to handle. Lunch came at the exact right time for us, at mile 9 (we enjoyed turkey sandwiches, chips, apples, cookies) and we ate quickly so we could continue on the correct pace for completing the 26.2 miles on Day 1. I can say this - walking on the streets of NYC was very different from the streets of DC. As DC is more of a busy-weekday city, NYC is a busy-everyday city, so the streets were crowded, taxis were everywhere, and crowds kept us from walking at a constant pace. At mile 13 (half way through Day 1), we were greeted by family & friends at a cheering station along the path! It was so overwhelming to see our loved ones (complete with an incredible banner made by my talented mother) yelling loudly and showering us with hugs & gloves! Although we were only able to stop and say hello for a few minutes (as to keep on pace schedule), we took pictures and admired the banner (which we later learned was a HUGE success - capturing the eyes of all Walkers, many of whom stopped to take photos).
At mile 17, I started feeling some major pain in my hip flexor area. It was difficult to take steps with my right leg, especially on the Brooklyn Bridge which kept us at an incline for about a mile. I was thankful for the rest stops every 2.5 miles to rest, stretch and fill-up on water or Gatorade. During Day 1, there were a few other amazing things to note: (1) there was a male volunteer who posted himself about every 5 miles with a boombox, shaking his groove-thing, making us smile, (2) there was an elderly woman whose sign said "walking for my daughter" whom she lost to breast cancer a few years earlier, (3) while walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, Erin's glove - that she had received from my father a few miles back - flew over the side, so she walked the rest of the weekend with only one glove, (4) the Youth Crew - made up of those too young to walk just yet - posted themselves every few miles and chanted words of encouragement as we walked by.
We finally arrived at the Wellness Village around 5:30pm. After such an intense and demanding day, it took all our strength to set up our sleeping tents, grab dinner, and visit the bathrooms. While most of the team passed out early, I was still suffering from severe pain in my hip flexor area, so I visited the physical therapy tent, where I signed in as #274 (good gracious). I waited and waited, and finally received some painful stretching-therapy which lasted about 20 minutes. Because it was causing me to cry and they had tried all they could think of, they sent me back to my tent to sleep (with legs raised) and asked that I come back on Day 2 to check up. After a restless night, I arrived back at the physical therapy tent at 5:00am, hoping that things would look more promising. Unfortunately for me, the physical therapists expressed that there was nothing further they could do, and recommended that I not participate on Day 2, another 13.1 miles. I absolutely could not believe that my body was doing this to me - I was furious, overcome by a feeling of failure, and so sad to send my team off on Day 2 while I waited for the shuttle. {I must take this time to say Thank You to the Crew member who sat and consoled me as I broke down in tears, embarrassment and frustration that I could not start Day 2.} The 2 injury shuttles took us to the lunch stop, where I decided to hail a cab, go to my sister's apartment, shower and sit with ice. I kept in good touch with my teammates, and after two hours of "rest," I asked Tim to drive me to the 10.5 mile cheering station (where my parents would loyally be holding the banner as my team passed). As soon as I saw Team Tit-Tastic coming toward me, I had this rush of energy, and knew that with their strength and support, I could finish the last 3 miles, no matter how much pain I was in. We packed up the banner and my parents walked along with us! Then at mile 12, after her GMAT class had ended, my sister joined us as well! (This entire time, Tim was looking for parking near the Finish Line.) My parents unfolded the banner once more, and walked with it in front of our team. Team Tit-Tastic crossed that finish line holding hands, after 40 miles of cold weather, sore muscles, laughter, tears and extreme emotions we'd never felt before.
BIG THANK YOUS:
- To my generous donors, for making this year so successful, you've left imprints on my heart forever: Sophia Franklin... Marj & Jerry Sparer... Ann Senger... Angella Rogers... Hussein Amin & SherriJoyce King... Rebecca & Dick King... Sam McDonald... Marion, Steve & Beth Pardes... Lou King & Harriet Langlois... Aaron Foster... Pam & Rich Finstein... Julian & Sandra Schraibman... Susan Sandler & Howard Eisenberg... Becky Christie... Danielle & Ben Cupido... Jen Mino... Chris & Mike Wenzel... Alan Tupek... Richard Abrams... Allan Newstadt... Normal Wallis... Cecil Mallon... Diane & Fred Tamayo... Mary Moczula... Barry Shrut... Dung Nguyen... Franklin Davis... David Sandler... Joseph Beller... Roberto Almelor... Anita Russell... Harris Stern... Mame Templeton... Trudi, Dave & Sarah Bloom... Edwin Smith... Rob Derubeis... Karl Kozarsky... Giampiero Di Guardo... Len, Carol & Shoshana Eisenberg... Alan Roecklin... George Goldstone... Phillip McKee... Barun & Usasi Chatterjee... Philip Price... Howard Rudnick... David & Ruthie Eisenberg... Yael Sandler... John Csaklos... Eduardo Widmar... Wiliam Bracken... Ralph & Elizabeth Von Dem Hagen... Hock-Chye Ong... Corrie Roberts... Estelle Kluft... Donald Roberts... Esther Sobel... Peter Adams... Maggie Amin... Omar & Karen Helal... Hosni Berzi... Ron Frezzo... Erika Conner... Hugh Mealy... Donald & Billie Orenbuch... David McCue... Frank & Lorraine Lopresto... Kelly Wilmoth... Becca Halperin... Lee Baklarz... Ricardo Mena... Eve Finstein... Lauren Summers... Amr Pertew... Gabrielle Carlson... CustomInk.com... Scott & Jenny Midgley... Lauren & Rich Kimmel... Amy & Bill Ratcliffe... Nikkee Porcaro... Emily Garfinkel... Steffi Wallis... Laurie & Ibby Burch... Tony Weeg... Mary Hall!
- To my parents, sister and best friend Stevie - thank you for being at the cheering stations, texting me throughout the day with words of encouragement, buying gloves for the whole team when we underestimated the cold, holding up that incredible momi-made banner, and being the greatest support system a girl could ask for!
- To my incredible boyfriend, Tim - you supported me throughout the journey by running emergency errands, leaving the house to us girls during Avon meetings, excusing the nights when I was too busy writing donation emails to hang out, driving the team to and from NYC, wearing a button that said "I'm a Boob Man" throughout the weekend, waiting at the cheering stations with a smile on your face even though you had work to do, giving me strength (and ice) when I thought I wasn't going to make it, pleasantly standing for multiple pictures at the finish line, and taking care of me the following week (with hurt muscles, fever and exhaustion).
- To the members of Team Tit-Tastic - I admire you for taking part in a cause as important as the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer; I applaud you for surpassing your fundraising goals, whether it was through individual or group efforts; I appreciate you taking off work for a few days to truly give your all to this experience; I am blown away by your determination to finish the 40 miles with powerful strides; I am proud of you for setting up tents and sleeping in the cold; I am grateful to you for the laughs, the companionship, the positive attitude, and the celebration at the end of our long journey. You are forever a part of me; I love you!
