Co-reporters at The Naperville Sun, Jennifer Golz and Kate Houlihan, are racing for the cure.
We are training to run the 11th annual Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s 5k race that will take place at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 on Chicago’s lakefront.
If you know either one of us, you probably know that we are not the most athletically inclined – often choosing chocolate over exercise – but we are putting down the candy for this very important cause.
For Kate, this race couldn’t get any more personal. In April 2003 Kate’s enthusiastic, vivacious and athletic mother, Ricky Houlihan, was diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer. Despite struggling through numerous types of treatments for the proceeding four years, Ricky maintained a positive attitude, never complaining about the battle she was fighting.
Tragically that battle ended June 24, 2007 – three weeks to the day before Kate’s 25th birthday and less than two months before her own 55th birthday – when Ricky passed away peacefully in her Wisconsin home. For Kate, this race is about helping to make sure no other 24-year-old has to bury his or her mother because of this dreaded disease.
Linda Bublitz knew Jennifer and her family long before the would-be journalist even entered the world. So when Linda was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer Sept. 8, 2006 – less than a year after losing her husband, Rod, to his battle with pancreatic cancer – needless to say, the family felt helpless.
Friends and family rallied around the newly single mother of three while she underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Today Linda’s cancer is in remission! But that doesn’t mean the support stops.
Being the overachievers that Kate and Jennifer are, we’ve set a very lofty fundraising goal for ourselves of $10,000. Help us reach this goal to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure. One in eight women are directly affected by breast cancer – that could be someone you know.
Know that 75 percent of your tax-deductible donation will stay locally to help Chicagoland women fight breast cancer. The remaining 25 percent will be used to support national breast cancer research.
Visit our online fundraising Web site or make checks payable to Komen Chicago Race for the Cure, and send to:
The Naperville Sun
c/o Kate Houlihan or Jennifer Golz
1500 W. Ogden Ave.
Naperville, IL 60540
Thank you for your support!
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