Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, September 05, 2008
Steppin’ Out in Pink walk Saturday; walk-ups welcome
Gundersen Lutheran officials are expecting this year’s Steppin’ Out in Pink walk for breast cancer research and awareness to be the largest in three years. More than 3,000 walkers already have registered, and officials expect a couple hundred more will register at the walk Saturday. Last year, the walk drew 3,180, with 300 to 400 walk-ups.
“This should be the most successful year,” said Debbie Kroner, coordinator for Steppin’ Out in Pink.
In 2006, 2,980 people participated in the walk. More than 120 survivors have walked the past two years.
Kroner said $420,000 was raised the first two years. This year’s goal is $240,000.
The walk is held every year with an eventual goal of raising $1 million to endow the Norman L. Gillette Jr. Cancer Research Fellowship, which was established at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation by the families of Norman L. Gillette Jr. and Donald and Norma J. Vinger.
The families will give another $1 million when Gundersen Lutheran meets its goal to support full-time research at the Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care.
At this year’s walk, Gundersen Lutheran’s new digital mobile mammography unit will be unveiled. Gayle Jago, clinical manager of program development at Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care, said the 40-foot, self-contained mammography coach will travel to sites in 19 counties in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Jago said the mobile unit will improve access to breast cancer screening services.
The focus of this service is the uninsured and underinsured women, and working women who have not seen a provider in more than five years, Jago said.
“We have discovered high rates of nonadherence to breast cancer screening recommendations among female laborers and mothers who typically are unable to take time away from work or children for preventive health care services,” Jago said.
IF YOU GO
- What: Gundersen Lutheran’s Steppin’ Out in Pink walk for breast cancer research and awareness.
- When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
- Where: The walk kicks off at 9 a.m. on the Gundersen Lutheran walking trail in La Crosse.
- To register: You can register the day of the event. For more information, go to gundluth.org/steppinout.
- Cost: $25
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