Advertisement Mary Lynn Sinclair’s sister, Lori Hudson, had both breasts removed after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Years ago, their mother, Mona Jolivette of West Salem, also had a double mastectomy.
After Hudson’s diagnosis, she had some genetic tests done and found that she carried a gene mutation called BRCA2, and so did her mother and her brother. The gene mutation is linked to increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and there’s a family history of ovarian cancer, too: it took the lives of Jolivette’s mother and grandmother.
Sinclair took the genetic test a couple months ago and spent a tense few weeks waiting for the results to come in. A positive test wouldn’t automatically mean she’d develop breast or ovarian cancer, but some women who test positive for BRCA2 opt to have their breasts and ovaries removed as a precaution. She had to do some hard thinking to decide what she would do.
It turned out that Sinclair didn’t carry the gene, but she is as committed to the fight against breast cancer as can be. She plans to join her sister, who lives in Fort Myers, Fla., in a three-day, 60-mile fundraising walk in Tampa, Fla., called the Breast Cancer 3-Day.
“My sister invited me to be on her team, and I felt it was kind of a way for me to step up and do my part,” Sinclair said. “And it’s a challenge.”
The event, which takes place in late October, is challenging on multiple levels. First, they have to build up their walking endurance. The Sinclairs weren’t big on walking before the event came along, so they’re training extra hard to catch up. They’re up to five-mile distances so far (and Mary Lynn has lost five pounds).
The other challenge is financial. Each participant has to raise at least $2,200 to take part in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, and the Sinclairs share the same circle of friends so they either had to hit their friends and family doubly hard or think big.
They decided to think big.
The Sinclairs have organized two events on Saturday, July 12, designed to help them meet their fund-raising goals.
One event is a poker run along a scenic 125-mile route starting at the Hawg Pasture motorcycle shop in West Salem. The event is open to all vehicles, not just motorcycles. Registration will run from 10 a.m. to noon at the Hawg Pasture, where participants will get a map of the scenic route and stops along the way where they can pick up the cards that will make up their poker hands. Cost of the poker run is $15 or $25 per couple. Advance registration is not required.
The ride ends in Mindoro at Cindy’s Entertainment Center, where there will be a chickencue starting at 11 a.m. with live music, refreshments and drawings for prizes that include a free Harley-Davidson motorcycle rental from the dealership in Onalaska. That’s the second of the Sinclair fundraisers.
The event in Mindoro will feature an open jam from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with afternoon performances by a lip synch group called the Irvettes and karaoke performances from Generation Next. The music will be headlined by Double Crossed, a band formed by Sinclair’s brother, Dennis Anderson.
People also can donate online at the Breast Cancer 3-day Web site: www.the3day.org. In addition to Hudson and the Sinclairs, the team also includes Susan and Maria Sorrentino, a mother-daughter duo from Onalaska, and Laura Adamski, a Florida friend of Hudson.
They call their team Boobie Buddies, and they’ve got a battle cry: You might lose your boobies, but you’ll never lose your buddies.
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