Strutting my stuff to fight breast cancer

Just a week ago, I had the privilege of participating in a FABULOUS event called Silouette of a Woman – A local fashion show to benefit Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation.  AND, even more awesome was that I got to strut my 35 week preggo bod on the catwalk at The Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie NY!  I modeled super comfortable yet super sassy maternity clothes from Waddle n Swaddle that definitely made me look and feel amazing!

Whether its a road race, a fashion show, or another type of event, participating in events that support breast cancer research are so important and extremely rewarding.  A few statistics from Breastcancer.org are a reminder of the ongoing battle and a catalyst to keep us helping however we can…

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• In 2011, an estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 57,650 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• About 2,140 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2011. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
• About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
• The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).
• A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
• In 2011, there were more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the US. YAY!!!

In 2004, The Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation was established by Dana Effron and Cathy Varunok.  These two community activists strive to fund support services for people fighting breast cancer in the Hudson Valley.

A huge thanks goes out to these women and the countless others that step up to help fight this terrible disease.  It was a great honor to participate.  I look forward to getting involved in other great events in the future!