Race for Cure shows power of pink

It won’t happen to me. It couldn’t touch my life.

That’s what Spokane resident Andrea Felts thought about breast cancer before she was diagnosed with the disease last year at age 51. She endured four surgeries and a mastectomy.

Five months before her diagnosis, her longtime friend Gayle Earling, 51, was also diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was a weird year,” Felts said.

“I remember the day we were on the phone with each other when we found out, crying,” Earling added.

On Sunday morning, Earling had only tears of joy for herself, her friend, and thousands of other breast cancer survivors.

Both women beat the illness and stood side by side with other members of the “Breast Friends” team to walk in the first Eastern Washington Race for the Cure.

More than 4,000 survivors and supporters of breast cancer awareness hit the streets of downtown Spokane for the event, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The foundation holds hundreds of events worldwide, but this is the first time it has landed in Spokane. For Sunday’s event, about 94 participating teams raised more than $143,000 for breast cancer research and support, surpassing the foundation’s goal of $100,000.

“It really feels good to be here with so many women that have gone through it,” Felts said. “It really touches your heart.”

There was no shortage Sunday of stories of triumph and courage, sorrow and grief.

Almost all the participants in the one-mile and three-mile races had pink pieces of paper pinned to their backs listing those in whose honor – or memory – they were participating.

“In memory of Mom,” “In memory of my friend,” “In memory of the best grandma,” some of the pink slips read.

A team of about 30 people, calling themselves the “Liberators,” were participating on behalf of Libby Hodges.

Hodges, 41, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time.

She has gone through a mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal treatments, but the cancer keeps coming back.

“I’ve done just about everything you can do,” Hodges said.

Surrounded by her friends and family, she was all smiles Sunday before the race began.

“It’s really comforting, and overwhelming,” Hodges said. “This is an amazing show of support.”

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire – who is also a breast cancer survivor – kicked off the race, followed by music from the Eastern Washington University marching band.

Runners and walkers took to the streets in a sea of pink – the color of the signature ribbons that represent the fight against breast cancer.

There was also a sea of yellow made up of more than 750 people participating on behalf of a Spokane elementary school teacher, Lisa Gyllenhammer, who died of cancer in January at age 36. She left behind three school-age sons.

Members of Team Lisa wore yellow T-shirts, designed by Gyllenhammer’s brother, Chris Stiles. The group raised the most money for the cause, bringing in more than $30,000.

Spokane resident Gloria Lewis, 58, showed her feelings about breast cancer on her own pink T-shirt: “Cancer Sucks.”

She was walking on behalf of her sister, Sharon Takeda, who recently learned her cancer was terminal.

“It’s her birthday today, so I’m here for her,” Lewis said. “It really does touch everybody. You can’t get away from it.”