Saturday in Calgary

Hello everyone,
Can you say 5.6 MILLION raised by 2036 walkers! An incredible amount of money raised for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. In two years this event alone has raised over 12 million dollars for the foundation. This is simply fantastic when you consider that prior to this event, the foundation would raise $300,000 a year. This has really had an impact on me. In 2004, $300,000 and in 2007 because of this walk $5,600,000. This has to be good for all Canadians.
So we arrive at Stampede Park just before what we thought were the opening ceremonies at 7 am. The next part I am telling you is for a reason (Pat is going to kill me for this) Pat had to use the restroom however the ceremonies were to start at 7 and the line up was literally out the door so I managed to talk her out of it. So 7 am came and went as did 7:15 am and people were starting to wondering what was happening. So finally at 7:30 they came on to the stage and announced that the "last of the port-o-potties was being delivered and that was the delay". So once we all knew that we became much more patient again. Remember Pat has not gone during this time. So finally at 7:40 am a lady comes out to help us stretch and finally the opening ceremonies start. Although we have now seen the ceremonies three times it does not get any less emotional. My heart still breaks for my Mom when I see the three generations of women walking the flag up to the stage. How May 10, 1986 changed forever three generations of women in my family. During the ceremony they talk about the "circle of life" and I hold on to that circle in my heart because I know it will keep me going over the next 48 hours. I am walking for three generations that changed 1986 and I am walking for the next generation, my niece and hopefully for change too. This change though will be positive and she will be able to look back and maybe say "my circle of life made a difference". What an honour that would be.
The opening ceremonies are finished at 8 am and they have one small announcement to make...not all of the port-o-potties have come in so the first stop is not until 6kms. The first "rest spot" is usually 1.5 to 2.5kms into the route not 6kms! Needless to say (and I can not blame Pat) she was not pleased with me. You can imagine the pace we started out at! I felt like Barbaro at the Kentucky Derby but I dare not complain about it. So we did the first 6kms in record time to the first rest stop. Problem was there was a "field of Barbaro's" and only ONE port-o-potty!!! The line up for this one "sancturary" was down the field and funny enough Pat was still not pleased. Now you have to know that all my friends call me a "camal" so this was not a problem for me. The same can not be said for Pat. So with one look...off we went again at thorough bred speed to get to the next rest station that was to be 3 kms down the route. We had covered just about 10kms in less than two hours and finally Pat got to her "sanctuary".
I think one of the walkers defined the problem...what are on construction sites? Port-o-potties...and with all of the construction in Calgary there must be a shortage of them. I know this stressed out the organizers and I really did feel sorry for them. Didn't mention that to Pat though until Sunday...at dinner long after the walk.
As we were walking along the Bow River Pathway I met up with a walker who told me she was walking for her sister. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 31 and told she had nine months. She beat the odds and lived for four years but the last six months were not a great quality of life. I am going to try to scan in the articles from the Calgary papers but in case it does not work I would like to share with you this quote from one of the walkers who is also a survivor. "32 years old. 3 lumps found. 1 breast lost. 8 rounds of chemo. 70 daily needles. 20 radiation treatments. 100's of tears..60km, $11,000 raised...13,7,4 and 1 the ages of my 4 beautiful daughters. 1 busy husband and countless amounts of family and friends to lean on; all in 9 months. This survivor is Nikki Obrigewitch and I saw her at the finish line and she looked beautiful. At lunch I spoke with another survivor...going through her first treatment at 27. One of first things both Pat and I noticed was the survivors seemed much younger here. I do not know if there is any truth to it or not but it certainly seemed that way. The walkers I spoke with and Nikki were far too young.
Oh yeah..I forgot to mention that this is the hottest July Calgary has had in 47 years! It was HOT. Did I mention how HOT it was in Calgary? Do you know how to spell HOT...how about 37 degrees on Saturday. Now they say it is a dry heat...well I don't care what type of heat it is...37 degrees and the closest cloud was Victoria to the west and Winnipeg to the east. The good news was though we walked in the shade at the beginning of the walk! Even at lunch there was no shade. You would see about 15 people huddle in the shade that one lone pine tree would throw off. This lone pine was about 20 feet tall. So there was not much of a shade factor but we were desperate. Not only was the sun beating down on you but you could feel the heat bouncing up off the pavement. In some spots were there was some tar to patch up the roads you could see "Nike" and "New Balance" in the tar. The only thing I can think of that comes close to this is being in a golf tournament with a cart with no roof. Some of these tournaments are six hours on the course...well we were that PLUS 2.5 HOURS.
The people of Calgary were great though. We must of walked through 40 lawn sprinklers that people had on for us. Little kids that were just begging you to allow them to spray you. Always asking first...then this grin would just spread across their face when you agreed. How could you say "no". Just not the feet we would say...don't want to get wet feet because that would cause blisters. The kids were great though. What could be better than being a kid with a Super Soaker and getting permission to soak adults?
At one point though, I was really hot. You know that type of hot that you know your internal temperature gauge is telling you...you are hot. I was there and I am going up a hill. I was struggling but then I remembered a sign that I had seen earlier that day " You ROCK Uncle John and remember pain is temporary but pride is forever" and I kept repeating that in my head. Smart kid. So as I am struggling I am not kidding you when I say this... there is a fountain of water suddenly at the top of the hill. The water must be going 20 feet in the air...the fire department has a fire hydrant spraying water into the air for the walkers. That is how hot it was. They had just opened up the hydrant before I got there. It was just what I needed to get to the top of that hill. As I am getting there I am thinking of those Firemen calendars that I hear SOME buy... and as I am standing under the fountain of water not caring how wet my knapsack gets with my Ipod, camera etc I am thinking to myself...you don't see too many drowned rats with Mr. January... but at this point I did not care. So as I walked out beneath the fountain with my eye makeup down around my nose...the last thing I see before the suntan lotion goes stinging into my eyes is your good looking fireman and cop standing there with a big grin on their face. Thanks Mr. January.
We finish the day at 4:30 and we did just over 33 kms. The organizers had actually shortened the route today because of the heat. Pat and I finished in the first 450 but because of the heat I am not sure how many were able to finish. At the end of the day, it is not about how far you walked it is about the money you have raised and the phenomenal people you meet along the way. But it was HOT.
With love and thanks,
M.J.