Weekend to End Breast Cancer coming up

When Pierrefonds resident Debbie Shizgal decided to walk at the Weekend to End Breast Cancer marathon five years ago, she did not do it on a whim.

"I was asked to participate by a friend of mine," she said.

However, as time went by, Shizgal kept coming back. A year after she first joined, her mother was diagnosed with cancer.

And last year, her mother-in-law received the same bad news.

"I feel that if I can do anything in terms of raising money, then it's sort of my small part to ensure this isn't going to be an issue for my children, or my children's children," she said.

Like many of the participants to the large fundraising event, Shizgal's life has been personally touched by cancer.

The weekend event, which will take place over Aug. 22-23, will see thousands of women march from Uniprix Stadium at Jarry Park in Montreal to "Tent City" near the Queen of Angels Academy in Dorval to camp overnight, and then walk back.

The walkers are usually united into groups. Shizgal's is called the Sisterhood of the Travelling Feet, and even it has been affected by cancer since its formation three years ago. "One of the people we initially walked with has since died of breast cancer," Shizgal said.

Her team has raised $9,000 so far this year. Like the remaining $30 million raised, the money will go towards breast and gynaecologic cancer research at the Jewish General Hospital's Segal Cancer Centre.

To find out more, or to donate to participants and/or teams, head to www.endcancer.ca.