| | Published May 8th, 2013
| Reagan and Zoe's Mother's Day Walk Against Breast Cancer
| | By Laurie Snyder | | |
Mother's Day, say Zoe Zabetian and Reagan Tierney, is "a perfect day to help strong, courageous women (and men, for that matter) fight against breast cancer, especially mothers who are dealing with cancer and having to take care of their families."
But Zabetian and Tierney aren't just sitting around hoping for the day when cancer becomes consigned to the same distant memory where smallpox now resides. As seventh grade students at Orinda Intermediate School, they've been researching the role that timely diagnoses can play in helping to save the lives of those who have the disease, and are determined to raise funds to enable more adults to receive testing.
"Our teacher assigned the Take Action Project, where you pick a problem in the world and make an action to help the problem or situation," explains Zabetian. "Late last year, Reagan and her family discovered that [a family member] was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, both Reagan and I knew that it would be a perfect choice for this project."
As part of this project, this dynamic duo has mounted an awareness campaign rivaling those created by far more experienced public relations practitioners - and they've also scheduled a fundraising walk for this Mother's Day. "The money we raise will go to the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center (www.altabatessummit.org/breast-health/) to pay for mammograms, so women can detect the cancer early," says Tierney.
According to its website, the center was established "to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in the Bay Area, where one out of eight women is diagnosed with the disease." Because mammograms are an important tool in this fight, the "American Cancer Society recommends that women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional preferably every three years."
Tierney and Zabetian first reached out to the Orinda City Council "doubting that any of them would email back," they say. "But, just hours later, some of them started responding, including the mayor, Amy Worth. We have been emailing back and forth with Mayor Worth, and have had a meeting with her, the city manager, Janet Keeter, and Michelle Lacy, the director of Parks and Recreation. They are all wonderful people and we couldn't have done this project without them."
Zabetian and Tierney are hoping Lamorinda residents will join their small army of the kind by donating in honor of a loved one with breast cancer, by turning out to walk along the St. Stephen's Trail in Orinda, by purchasing wristbands specially designed by the girls - or by sponsoring those who will be lacing up their sneakers between 7:30 to 9 a.m. this Mother's Day.
Pre-registration is not required, but anyone wanting more information about the event may email the organizers in advance: reaganandzoe@gmail.com. To learn more about the goals of the Take Action Project, visit the OIS website: ois.orindaschools.org.
"We just want everyone to know that anyone can get breast cancer, but also, that anyone can help fight it too," say Zabetian and Tierney. It's important "that we all fight it together."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA