Breast Cancer 3-Day: Day Three

A day late and a dollar short...

NOTE: This is the third part of a three part series detailing the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk from a Walker Stalker's point of view. I recommend you read the first and second parts to have the full appreciation of the third...

The walkers' day began early. Most of them woke between 4 and 5 a.m. During breakfast, they persuaded Ashley to take it easy. Her feet, you see, were a mess. And however much her heart told her to go, her feet and her friends suggested otherwise. Julie called Maggie who went to pick her and Fernando up at 6:45. The rest of the team boarded school buses at Marymoor and proceeded to the University of Washington on the other side of the water. This was the final day. The final 20 miles. And they would spend it west of the lake.

Joseph called me to tell me what was happening. I got up, showered, ate, and called Maggie. They were going back to Maggie's house to make sandwiches. Meanwhile Maggie suggested I buy more water for the day. I proceeded to Safeway and bought another 7 gallons. That was over 20 gallons of water in three days.

I then drove into Seattle Center to park so that I could be ready after the closing ceremonies. Maggie and crew picked me up, and away we went.

We met the Pink Buzz at the second pit stop. Twiggy and Joseph wore their pink pirate hats. In fact, Twiggy, with that hat, looked like the second coming of a pink-garbed Errol Flynn, the epitome of a swashbuckler. Those hats would be our key to identifying them for the rest of the day.

They had three miles until their next stop. They walked and we drove. We decided we would go half way and set up our water, candy, and spritzing station. We discovered that half way was at Green Lake, a favorite spot to walk for Seattlites. On that day, Green Lake doubled as the largest cheering station we had seen. We circled the lake and chose a spot to stand. Maggie, meanwhile, went to retrieve her mother from Seattle Center.

We whooped, hollered, and hooted. We offered water, candy, and spritzing to thankful passersby. And as others discovered why we were there, they joined us until we became a cheering station unto ourselves. At one point, I reflected on how this dastardly disease brought random strangers together to cheer on these amazing walkers. There really aren't words for it.

Maggie arrived a short time later with her mother, another survivor, and after more cheering we made our way to Woodland Park. Fernando and Ashley would leave the ranks of the Walker Stalkers at that pit stop and walk the remainder of the trail. Joseph had his shin splints wrapped with plastic wrap. And the team used foot powder, mole skin, and countless bandaids to care for the myriad of blisters appearing on their feet.

It was also at that stop that a young, beautiful woman approached me randomly and asked if she could record my testimonial. I thought she was asking all three of us - I was standing with Ashley and Fernando at that point - but she was only asking me. I've never done particularly well in front of any kind of camera, but I couldn't deny this request. And so, when she began, I told her that I was supporting my partner and the Pink Buzz as a Walker Stalker. And that I was participating in memory of my godmother. I felt flushed as I finished. She thanked me.

From there, we went to find out where lunch would be. Gasworks Park. You could see Seattle across Lake Union from that park. Then we doubled back and did the candy, water, spritzing thing.

Lunch came and the team said they wanted to push it a bit more to get to Seattle Center by 3:30. We had about 20 minutes to eat - again the wonderful vittles prepared by Maggie - and then off we went. Yes, we. I had decided that I wanted to walk at least a short distance with the team to show solidarity and to encourage. From Gasworks, across the Fremont bridge, and down to the southwest corner of Lake Union, I walked with Joseph and Katrina. Along the way, people outside a supermarket in Fremont cheered for us. There was a cheer squad just before we crossed the bridge. And there was a random guy in a Seahawks jersey cheering us as we exited the bridge. There was a woman walking back to her car thanking us. There was an older gentleman sitting in a deck chair with a Scooby Doo stuffed animal sitting in an adjacent chair. There were kids offering Starburst and Skittles. There were two men with multiple facial piercings encouraging us onward. There was a small station handing out Dixie Cups of iced Gatorade. There was a guy with a hose just spraying. There were so many people. And I thank God I walked that short distance because I understood what the whole walk was about. It was about the walkers, yes. But it was about those random, voluntary acts of kindness being displayed at - literally - every corner.

Maggie, her mother, and Tammy - one of Julie's long-time friends - were standing in front of McCormick & Schmick's (a Seattle restaurant that I recommend). I decided to join them as Joseph and Katrina walked on.

After a quick stop at Starbucks, we set up for the last time and did the candy, water, spritzing as the walkers came up Fairview. We then followed the route through Seattle and down to just north of Pioneer Square. We took a right and found ourselves near the piers. We traveled adjacent to the Sound following the walkers until we came to the Sculpture Park. And then we decided that we would be best served parking near Seattle Center and cheering the team into the final stretch.

We parked, went into QFC, and Maggie purchased a huge butterfly balloon - which turned out to be a rather ingenious idea since that's how they saw us in the stands - for the closing ceremonies. We proceeded to the final stretch, meeting Julie's and Maggie's father as well as a couple of Fernando's friends. After seeing the team into the holding area, we went into Memorial Stadium - a football stadium - where the closing ceremonies would be held.

We sat in the sun, waiting as the stands became more and more crowded. On the field, extending from one end zone to the 50-yard line was what looked like the outlines of the Breast Cancer ribbon. It was an enclosure into which the people would be walking. Imagine, if you will, a giant fenced area in the shape of a ribbon on the outside. Then there is a smaller fenced area inside of that giant area. And then even a smalled fenced area inside that. And finally, a circle inside which there was a platform with a flagpole.

The inspirational music began. The volunteer crews dressed in green, orange, and red lined both sides of the path that the walkers would take into the largest of the enclosures. After they had outlined the path, the walkers, dressed in white, proceeded into that large enclosure. They kept coming. And coming. And coming. Over 3000 walkers. I felt the chill run down my spine. I felt my eyes welling at the catharsis of the moment.

Following the walkers were the crew. They in their multiple colors filled the second enclosure.

Finally, the survivors - maybe about 100 women - walked out proud and garbed in pink. Their arms interlocked. They share something I hope most of us never have to endure. As the speaker said, they share the memory of that pain that cancer causes.

And it was then that I realized that a few days of walking 60 miles, or in my case a few days spent supporting and cheering and waiting on these walkers, was nothing. Is nothing. As compared to what these men and women must endure. God, we need to eradicate this thing called cancer.

As the speaker spoke, I think most of the stadium reflected. And cheered. Wow, did they cheer. Such an uproar.

The ceremonies ended and we made our way as a team to West Seattle to have beer and pizza. The Pink Buzz could hardly walk. And do you blame them? They were exhausted.

And I must admit that never have I been prouder of my Buzz. Maggie, my partner in stalking. Elaine, the Pink Buzz adoptee. Twiggy, the Uncrustable eating swashbuckler. Fernando, the bellowing single-man cheer squad. Katrina, the rabbit-eared, tell-it-like-it-is strong woman. Tara, the focused, recycling go-getter. Ashley, the bad-footed, golden-hearted walker. Julie, officially one of my heroes. And Joseph, my charismatic and unconditionally loving partner.

If it's true that you win as a team and lose as a team, then the Pink Buzz just won BIG!

Thanks for reading...