Cornerstone Women Walk for the Cure
Mary Giblin & Linda Petrucci
“When
you get bad news, it is not the end of the world. You can make anything into a beginning.” A few years ago, I received this quote in an
encouraging e-mail from a friend.
It
came to mind on Sunday, May 4th as I looked around at the thousands
of people gathered at Branch Brook Park,
The
support people were dressed in white tee shirts. The survivors, like me, were dressed in
pink. For many of us, it was our first
walk. In this sea of people, there were
some women proudly bearing their bald heads (the result of chemo) and there
were also those holding pictures of loved ones lost to the disease. I felt a sense of comfort. I was in a safe place with people who
understood how breast cancer affects family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
I
was lucky because I had the support of the Dynamic Dames, nine wonderful women
from Cornerstone XIII walking with me.
We had the love, prayers and financial support of so many from the Notre
Dame Community. The 5K walk provided us
with an opportunity to see just how beautiful Branch Brook Park is, and to see
the joy on faces of the walkers. And, we
represented Notre Dame well with our shocking pink boas!!
The
team raised $4,435. It was a wonderful
morning for a good cause. But above all,
it was a day filled with great hope. I
left feeling energized, and it was certainly a new beginning.
Next
year, I hope that more Cornerstone women will join the walk with the support of
the larger Notre Dame Community.” (Mary
Giblin)
“I
enjoyed the day, being with a wonderful group of women I was happy to meet
through Cornerstone. We have shared the
Cornerstone experience and were now able to walk for a cause to help all
women. It was a beautiful day and I
can’t wait until next year to join with them again!” (Linda Petrucci)
Some
of our other Dynamic Dames have also reflected on the walk and had the
following comments:
“I
am fortunate to have had so many beautiful people around me on
“As
soon as Mary mentioned that she was forming a team to walk in the 5k Race for
the Cure, I knew I had to walk with her.
Words come easy. It was time for
a little action. The experience was
phenomenal. Although our team was just a
very small piece of the thousands that walked that day, we stuck out in the
crowd thanks to the decorative pink boas provided by Mary, and the wonderful
spirit of love and support. Supporting
my sisters was a very rewarding experience.
I look forward to doing it again.”
(Karen Curtis)
“This
experience was one of the most rewarding feelings of completeness. All of us coming together to walk the walk in
support of Mary and Linda was absolutely priceless!!” (Paula Turner)
“Joining
Cornerstone sisters to support our cancer survivors and raise money for
research was a fabulous experience. I
love our team’s pink boas!” (Marie
DeGrace)
“To
work toward a goal, surrounded by people you care deeply about is so much more
than satisfying.
It’s fortifying. My participation
in the May 4th Susan G. Komen Walk with several of my Cornerstone
sisters – two of whom are survivors themselves – was an unbelievable
experience. The bonding that occurred
during the walk actually enhanced out already close ties to one another, but
there was so much more. There was so
much excitement in the air, that the mood was contagious! To know that I was part of such a massive
group of supporters was especially rewarding.
I’m already looking forward to next years walk with the hope that we’ll
have an even larger group representing Notre Dame!” (Roanne Previti)
“What
a great way to be in service to women within our own parish and outside of it
as disciples of Jesus!!” (Holly
Naturale)
