Saturday, 6:30 am, my friend Denise and I make a rainy drive from Seattle to Tacoma (30 minutes south) to check out Tacoma’s second Free to Breathe event. Julie Drobney, event planner extraordinaire, puts on a very nice event, I must say!

The rain had stopped, the sky cleared, music was playing  –the racers waited and listened intently at the start line as Julie and her brother Kyle thanked them for coming and running (and walking) and most importantly…caring. This was their second year of putting together a Free to Breathe event, and the emotion was palpable in the crowd as they talked about their mother being there for the first year, and how they are doing this for their mother, but also for the thousands of people that lung cancer impacts.

We met many people from the lung cancer community whose names we knew, but had never met in person, and all of them are full of hope, and excitement to see how the movement to build awareness (and research dollars) seems to be growing. Dr. Howard (Jack) West (who happens to be my rock star oncologist!) spoke a bit about new discoveries that are going to VERY SOON going to positively impact how lung cancer is treated and diagnosed.

And then they were off. The runners and the walkers, all walking in honor of, or in memory of, someone they care about.

It’s always so humbling, to have people respond to your story with their dedication, their sweat, their time, their money…for something that is so personal to YOU, that it is quite astounding and astonishing that you have touched them in such a powerful way, and caused them to take action.

Julie and Kyle’s mother is surely proud of her family — they have not only kept her memory alive for themselves, but have inspired others as well.

And just a little plug for others who may be reading this in the Pacific Northwest — the inaugural Seattle Free to Breathe is November 8, and I would love to see you there!