On Saturday, Team Good Eater took part in the Walk for Hope, MaineGeneral’s fundraiser for breast cancer. I have been walking in the Walk for Hope ever since I was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. Through MaineGeneral and its affiliate the Harold Alphond Center for Cancer Care I received such excellent, compassionate care that I wanted to give something back to help other women who were dealing with this terrible disease. Perhaps what I like best about this fundraiser is that all of the money stays in the community, and much of it is used to help women who are either uninsured or underinsured. Indeed, when I was about to begin treatment, I was even  offered an allowance for gas, which I fortunately did not need.

In many cases, we humans are better together, as my friend Sarah Fuller would say, and Team Good Eater was formed to include my daughter Shannon and our friend Alice Johnson, who has also had breast cancer. For the past three years we have banded together to raise money for the Walk for Hope. On the day of the walk, we have been joined by family, friends, and a dog—Liam!—and this year Team Good Eater comprised Shannon and her husband, Mike; Alice and her husband, Joel; me and my husband, Clif; and our trusty dog, Liam.

Saturday was one of those October days that was piercingly beautiful. The sky was a brilliant blue, and there was a decided nip in the air that let us all know summer had indeed ended. The walk started in the parking lot at Sam’s Club in Augusta, where a huge tent was set up with a registration table, food tables—how good that bagel and hot chocolate tasted—and tables with a myriad of pink items for sale.

From Sam’s Club, the walk went to the wooded trails at UMA and then looped back up to Barnes & Noble, eventually ending at Sam’s Club. It was about a three-mile walk.

I saw, of course, other women I knew who had either had breast cancer or were in the process of going through treatment, and there were plenty of hugs. One of the things that is especially impressive of about this walk is the feeling of joy and yes, hope, that fills the event. This is not a gloomy walk. In fact, it’s almost festive. Another thing that has always impressed me is the range of walkers who participate—young, old, and in-between, men, women, boys, and girls. After all, breast cancer affects everyone in the family, not just the women dealing with it, and with 1 in 8 women being diagnosed, that’s a lot of families having to cope with breast cancer.

After the walk, Team Good Eater came to our house for chicken soup, corn bread, and brownies. We spent the afternoon chatting, buoyed by the joyous feeling of the walk. While there was some talk about breast cancer, most of the conversation centered on family, movies, and politics.

I would like to end with a couple of happy numbers: Team Good Eater raised $1,080 for the Walk and overall $130,559 was raised. Go team Good Eater and go Walk for Hope!