My sister will be walking in Philly in just ONE week! I really wish I was going to be there with her. With each passing day, I get more and more concerned about walking in Tampa in the heat. I’m a big wimp. Then again, I know that if it’s cold and / or rainy in Philadelphia, I’d be a big wimp about that too. Basically, I want to walk only on sunny days when it’s about 80 degrees out. Can that be arranged?

In just 2 weeks, my sister and her cousin will be walking in the 3-Day in Philly. She was actually in New Jersey this week for business, so she was able to see first hand how the weather is. Hopefully, she’ll have a much drier experience than we did last year. I really wanted to be there with her, and briefly considered volunteering as a crew member for her walk, but in the end I decided it would be too much traveling, with my walk coming up just 2 weeks after her walk. Hopefully she’ll be able to call me during the walk with an update. I don’t think she’ll have internet access like we did last year, thanks to Sindy’s laptop!

You only have about 3 more weeks to mail me a letter that I can get at the 3-Day walk. Even though my walk isn’t until the end of October, all letters and cards must be postmarked by October 5th in order to be sorted in time. Keep in mind, there are THOUSANDS of walkers that could potentially receive mail. I’d love to get a note from you!

Please send letters to:
3-Day Camp Post Office
c/o Colleen Caldwell (WALKER)
PO Box 5487
Sarasota, FL 34277-5487

Next month, I’m taking an active role in not one, but two charity events. As you all know, I’m walking 60 miles in the 3-Day for Breast Cancer. However, 2 weeks prior to that event, I’m walking in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk. Now, I’m well aware that not everyone is physically able to get out and walk a few miles to support a great charity. Some would rather donate via their checkbook. I’m also aware that each month, my friends invite me to various “home parties” where I’m encouraged to buy things from a catalog. Just this weekend I spent $60 on jewelry at a home party at a friends house. How about having a fundraising party instead, to encourage your friends to donate to a worthy cause? World Alzheimer’s Day is on September 21st, so this is a great time to throw a Purple Party and invite your friends, family, and coworkers over to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Your very own Purple Party can take any shape or form, and you can combine it with another event. How about throwing yourself a Purple birthday party and asking for donations instead of presents? What about a Purple garage sale, with the profits being donated to the Alzheimer’s Association? Or just invite people over for a night of fun and fellowship at your house, and serve all purple foods! (Grapes, grape soda, grape Jello…)

If the idea of raising money for a good cause is still a bit daunting, you can get some free help in the form of a free World Alzheimer’s Day party kit, as long as you’re one of the first 500 people to register online to throw your Purple Party! The free party kit includes A DVD of Alzheimer’s celebrity champions, speaking points donation forms, cocktail napkins, and even thank you cards. The site will assist you in setting up a page for your party, emailing, and reminding guests, and it will even allow guests to donate online if they can’t attend your party.

One more HUGE reason to participate is that all donations in September will be matched dollar for dollar by The Harrah’s Foundation. Even if you just raise $150, those funds will be doubled when the donation is made!

I found this cute video featuring the very same Thorlo socks I got in the mail a few months ago. They’re on board as one of the official 3-Day sponsors this year, too!

For the record, my socks have never given me a pedicure in bed. I think most women training for the walk don’t sleep in full makeup (including lipstick!) either. LOL! But my Thorlos DO keep my feet comfy, cool, and cushioned through 60 miles of walking during the 3-Day. I’ll take that over socks that give me a pedicure anyday!

It’s funny how small, meaningless things in life often put is in the right place at the right time. Lately, I’ve been wondering if I took on too much by signing up to do the 3-Day for a 2nd time. I relied a lot on my sister and Sindy last year to inspire me. I seriously would have quit on the first day, because I was SO cold and miserable. I’m wondering if the heat this year will turn me into the same whining wimp I was an hour into the walk last year.

Tonight, I dropped off my daughter at a youth event at church and noticed a mom at the back of the room wearing a pink shirt and pink hat, and there wasn’t any hair peeking out from under the brim. I normally wouldn’t approach anyone and ask anyone about their health status, but something in me made me walk to the back of the room and talk to her. I introduced myself and said, “I don’t mean to pry, but I couldn’t help but notice your pink clothing. Do you have breast cancer?”

She said yes, and I told her about the walk. I actually started to get a quivering voice, and I could feel my eyes welling up with tears as I talked to this mom, and I didn’t even cry at the closing ceremonies last year! I told her that I would be so honored if she shared her name with me, so that I could carry it with me on my walk, and let everyone know she was a survivor, that she was fighting breast cancer. She agreed, and now I’ll be carrying the name “Tina Q.” with me on my journey. I thanked her and left, knowing that if I stayed longer I’d cry.

I needed that moment tonight to remind me why I’m doing this. I can put up with the heat, the blisters, sleeping in a tent, and the portable toilets for people like Tina, who are putting up with chemo & radiation, pain & illness, depression & anxiety, and the possibility of leaving their husbands and children and their families too soon.

I can do it.

I just realized there are only about 6 weeks left til the walk. In true “waiting til the last minute” form, I haven’t worried about packing, or buying a sleeping bag or air mattress yet. I did make plans to get a room on Thursday night close to the starting point so that I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to get started. Jim will be coming down on Friday to go to cheering stations with the kids, and again on Sunday to join me at the closing ceremonies.

I gotta say – it was neat walking in Philly last year, but I’m really looking forward to having my little family visit me on the route and at the end!