A ten-year dedication to the fight against breast cancer
Breast cancer affects the lives of many. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and 4500 women in Minnesota will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to statistics provided by the Susan G. Komen foundation.
Susan G. Komen foundation has been a leader in raising funding and awareness to fight this deadly disease. Through early detection and effective treatments, the organization has helped reduce the breast cancer mortality rate in the U.S. by 42% since 1989. A cornerstone of the organization’s fundraising efforts are the Walks, sometimes referred to as “Race For The Cure.”
Sandy Albert, a 21-year resident of Hanover, has worked to organize Walks in her community and raise awareness for breast cancer research. Albert first got involved with Susan G. Komen in 2014, a few years after her best friend’s daughter-in-law, Allison, was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2012. Allison lived in a southern Minnesota community. Sandy wanted to help, but living over three hours away made it difficult to assist with Allison’s care.
An ad promoting Susan G. Komen Walks provided an opportunity for Sandy Albert to get involved. “I saw a 3-Day Susan G. Komen ad on TV and turned to my husband and said, ‘I think I need to do this.’”
From 2014-2019, Sandy participated in Twin Cities Walks. “There used to be 800 people. We started at South Dale and walked all over the Twin Cities; we stayed in little pink tents at night.” In 2016, Sandy participated in a 3-Day Walk in Atlanta.
COVID changed the landscape of the large walking events, encouraging smaller, community-based events. Sandy has been organizing fundraising walks in Hanover ever since.
This year, on October 11, 12, and 13, dressed in pink from head-to-toe, Sandy walked 60 miles in three days in an effort to bring awareness and much needed funding to cancer research, marking her 11th walk and the fourth year she has done so through the streets of Hanover. “Friday and Saturday were decent. It seems as if the leaves in Hanover had just turned two-days prior. Sunday was a blustery day with driving 20 mph winds, but the hardest day of the walk is still better than the best day of chemo.”
It takes Sandy about eight hours to complete 20 miles in a day, walking at a three mile per hour pace which allows for time to break and stretch. “I prepare all year round with biking, walking, and trail riding. It’s better to stay in shape than have to get in shape.”
Friends and community members support Sandy in numerous ways. She is often joined by a group she affectionately refers to as, “My Breast Friends,” which includes three breast cancer survivors. Sandy posts a signup sheet at her home where supporters can register to walk a five-mile loop with her. “The hardest miles are the ones you walk alone. I got the idea to get a friend or neighbor to do a five-mile loop and mapped out four to five loops starting from my front door. The schedule allows for time to grab a banana, fill a water bottle, drop off one neighbor and grab another. People wanted more, and it ballooned from there.” Sandy proudly stated, “I did not walk one mile alone.” The support of Hanover residents fills her heart with gratitude.
Garage Sale:
In an effort to raise money to donate to breast cancer research and programs, Sandy hosts an annual garage sale, “Save The Girls,” which she has staged for the past six years. “Instead of asking people for money, I can ask them for their stuff.” Through the generosity of friends, neighbors, and the community, $2000 dollars was raised this year and donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation. “The event has become something people in the community look forward to and want to help out with.”
Minnesota 3-Day Your Way:
In 2023, during a meeting with the Executive Director and Development Director of Susan G. Komen Minnesota, Sandy explained her walk through the neighborhoods of Hanover with her “Breast Friends.” The director decided to join Sandy and the group to walk the last mile of her 60-mile trek. “Cars would drive by, honk, and donate.”
After this shared experience, Sandy’s Hanover event became the inspiration for the first-ever “Minnesota 3-Day Your Way,” designed to be a statewide effort encouraging people to create similar events in their own communities, shining a light on the cause for breast cancer research and awareness.
People interested in organizing a 3-Day Your Way event in their community can design it in a manner that works best for them. “They don’t have to walk for three days; they can choose one or opt for shorter walks.”
Sandy hopes that Minnesota 3-Day community walks will expand and blossom, raising awareness for breast cancer research and giving hope to the many who experience the difficulty of a breast cancer diagnosis. “I made a promise to Allison that we will never give up.”
Editor’s note:
If you would like to donate and support Sandy’s fundraising efforts and the Minnesota 3-Day Your Way, you may do so directly on her donation page on the Susan G. Komen website: https://secure.info-komen.org/site/TR?fr_id=10570&pg=entry. Or simply “Google” Minnesota 3-Day Your Way. Click on “Donate” and enter “Sandra Albert” in the “Participant Search” field. Follow the prompts to complete your online donation.
