Story originally printed in the Holmen Courier or online at www.holmencourier.com

Published - Monday, May 19, 2008

Women to take walk -- a long walk -- to fight breast cancer

Susan Sorrentino, left, and Jessica Pehl are in training to walk 60 miles in three days to fight breast cancer. Sorrentino will walk in the Tampa Bay, Fla., event and Pehl will walk in the Minneapolis walk, both in September. They are raising funds for cancer research. Photo by Jo Anne Killeen

By JO ANNE KILLEEN | Staff writer

Jessica Pehl has heard enough. Enough people have died. More than 40,000 will lose their lives each year from breast cancer. More than 200,000 will be diagnosed with the disease.

Her mother-in-law, her paternal grandmother and her cousin have been diagnosed with the disease. She’s afraid she’s next, and she’s afraid for her daughter Madelynne.

“This disease kills, and I want to stop it before it takes more people away from us,” Pehl said.

To help change those statistics, Pehl is doing her part by taking a walk — a three-day, 60-mile walk — as part of the Breast Cancer 3-Day event Sept. 19-21 in Minneapolis that benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust.

Pehl will join about 3,000 participants in the walk taking place simultaneously in 14 cities nationwide. It raises millions of dollars for breast cancer research, education and community outreach programs. Since its inception, the three-day walk has raised more than $300 million.

One of those other cities is Tampa, Fla., and Onalaska resident Susan Sorrentino is participating in that walk. Sorrentino said her friend in Florida, Lori, was diagnosed with breast cancer and she wanted to show support for her.

Sorrentino, her daughter and three other friends (two from Mindoro and one from Florida) are going to participate in the Tampa walk to support Lori. “Lori has taken so much time off because of her illness, we decided to do the walk down there to make it easier on her,” Sorrentino said.

“Not only is it good for everyone, but for my friend in her struggle against the disease,” Sorrentino continued. “It is empowering. It feels like you can do something to help.”

Sorrentino said she is an avid walker and usually walks no less than 15 miles a week anyway. She has never walked in anything as lengthy as this, but feels confident she can build up her strength and stamina. She has walked with Pehl, but not on a regular basis.

Sticking with Pehl might be a good idea. To prepare for the lengthy journey of passion, Pehl is conducting training walks. “I have also become the one and only training walking leader for the La Crosse County area,” she said. She would like others who are participating in the three-day walk to join her in training for the event.

She is holding official training sessions to help fellow walkers prepare for the challenge. The training walks will probably be mostly on Wednesday evenings. Right now, she’s up to six miles per walk, using either a mapped-out three-mile route that she navigates twice around the Onalaska YMCA (because of the proximity of a bathroom and showers) or the Cedar Creek Golf Course.

This is the first time Pehl has participated in a walk for a cause. In prior years, she would support others through pledges. Last year, she pledged for her cousin who was walking in the Chicago three-day walk. “I have supported others in the past, but this year I feel it is my turn to take on this huge challenge,” she said.

It seems she likes challenges. Pehl runs the Little Steps Learning Center, a licensed day care center in her home. She has two children, Madelynne, 4, and David, 6. And in June, she is starting school.

Her husband, Dave, is getting in on the act. He has volunteered to crew for the walk. He’ll be working to ensure walkers are fed and hydrated and taken care of along the way.

It won’t be the high life during the event. They’ll be sleeping in pink tents provided by the Komen organization.

As if walking 60 miles wasn’t enough, each participant must raise at least $2,200 on their own through pledges or fundraisers or donations. So far Pehl has raised $1,365. She is hoping that her “Sip for a Cure” event will bring in local donations. The wine-tasting fundraiser as well as a silent auction will be held May 29 at Holmen Locker.

In June, Pehl is planning two events: a sale table at Wal-Mart on June 1 to sell jewelry she has made and then a two-day rummage sale June 27-28 at her home.

Pehl has plenty of work to do leading up to the walk, but the walk is really the focus, the symbolic blow against cancer.

“I’m walking 60 miles over three days because everyone deserves a lifetime,” Pehl said.

Contact Jo Anne Killeen at joanne.killeen@lee.net or (608) 786-6816.

AT A GLANCE