City of Hope‘s Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer will take place on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 1-3 p.m. at Sunset Woods Park, 1801 Sunset Road, Highland Park. Highland Park resident Mindy Ugolini shares her story to help raise awareness and funds in the fight against breast cancer. Mindy is a wife, mother of three, and special education teacher.
On July 29, 2002, I had my first and last mammogram. Being told that I had breast cancer at the age of 35, after the birth of my third child, was shocking and terrifying, to say the least. I turned a devastating diagnosis into a mission to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. It is an epidemic. Women need to start self-exams at a much younger age and understand their risks. I made it my mission to advocate for early detection, fundraising and research. I am gratefully celebrating my 13th year of survivorship and have joined forces with City of Hope.
Although I have participated in many walks and events for breast cancer, I truly love the City of Hope organization. They have received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, which is very important to me. When people give donations, they should have faith in where that money is going. I also appreciate that the walk is accessible to everyone. There is no minimum amount one must raise to participate and no age restrictions. I love that you can bring the whole family. For some of the two or three-day walks I have participated in, it always upset me that my children couldn’t walk with me. They were willing to walk the 40 or 60 miles but were not 18. It also upset me that everyone that participated needed to raise over $1,800. Many people, including my children’s babysitter who was willing to walk in my honor, found this difficult. I am a true believer that if you want to give of your time and funds, there should not be such barriers.
City of Hope is family-oriented and focuses on community. It makes me feel good that I am supporting one of the top comprehensive cancer centers in the country. They are at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer as well as other serious illnesses. You can learn more about all the wonderful things that City of Hope does here.
Visit Mindy’s Motivations to join my team and/or donate.
Please join Mindy as she leads the the warm-up exercises before the event, which includes a 1K family walk through the woods, an inaugural 5K Fun Run, prizes, goodie bags, healthy snacks and kids activities. All funds support breast cancer research and hereditary breast cancer research at City of Hope.
