This one's for you Mum...

Rachel, Karl and I at the Elks ready to GO!

After one of the best nights of dancing, long walks, rummaging through the "forests", we had a Breast Cancer Walk-a-thon.  Tell you what, it was hard to get out of bed.  I was, as I like to say, Merle Haggard!  We had just gotten down for our day off the day before, and I was super excited!  Why?!?  Well, not only was it a day off and a night of well needed dancing, but I was able to participate in the Fran Delisle Walk-a-thon.  I was also able to convince Nate, who lost an aunt to cancer, to accompany me.  He then told Rachel and Karl.
I lost my mother to breast cancer in 2006, two aunts in 2010 and many friends of the family in between.  My friend Amy, who was 29 and diagnosed with breast cancer, was also one of the many I was walking for.  She is a survivor and her charismatic, upbeat, inspiring, playful, hilarious sense of life and humor has helped her to be cancer free to this day!

The start, Karl and Rachel there... loving life.  Then I
was off.

We all arrived at the Elks Lodge at 0900 to get this party started!  Everyone was in great spirits and excited to get this show on the road!  We all hopped on the bus and up to Dyea we went, where the start was.  This was my first time to Dyea and what a sight to see.  Fran Delisle, whom this walk-a-thon was started for, she is a breast cancer survivor from Skagway, was leading the pack.  We all started with a nice walk, but I had a bit too much energy, not really sure why...  and I was off to the races!  I ran almost the entire 7 miles through some hilly, but amazing sights of absolute beauty.  I tell you what, I love Maine, but there is nothing like the beauty, at least seasonally that I have seen, as Alaska.  I've loved every season that I have seen since moving here.
Everyone that I met along the way was as sweet as the day, great community of people and what a great cause.  We ended it all with an awards ceremony and a great get up of food.  The mayor of Skagway announced that that day was to been known as Fran Delisle's day.  It was the 16th walk-a-thon that had done in her honor.  What a hoot she is too, funny lady!  The day ended just as amazing as it started, one that will never be forgotten!

Dyea Flats

Trail that came out into town