BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer
Long Branch LONG BRANCH — Lori Bader has many friends and family members who are survivors of cancer. She also has loved ones who have died of some form of the disease. To honor all of them, Bader will be walking in the Susan G. Komen Walk for Breast Cancer in Boston this summer.
Bader is no stranger to walking for a cause. She has walked many miles for various charitable organizations.
“I’ve walked for the March of Dimes, muscular dystrophy and the City of Hope,” she said. Last year, shortly after her friend Sherry Cohen was diagnosed with cervical cancer, Lori said she was listening to the radio when she heard an announcement about the three-day Walk for a Cure in New York. She decided to sign up because it was something that she could do to make a difference.
“I don’t have a lot of money to donate, so I decided to raise money and walk,” she said, adding, “I’m a big-time volunteer.”
Bader has another good reason to walk for breast cancer, since her mother is a breast cancer survivor. Both her mother and Cohen were the catalyst for last year’s walk in New York City and are what motivates her to do it again in Boston on July 8 through 10.
Last year’s three-day walk was fun, but grueling, she said.
“The walk was 60 miles. We camped for two nights in a tent, showered in a truck, and used only outhouses. We also nursed many blisters.”
Bader is part of a walking team called “Jersey Girls for Shore,” who train on the boardwalk.
They meet once a week at the Pavilion in Avon and walk north to Asbury Park, then south past Avon through Belmar and on to Spring Lake before turning back to Avon. All together, it is 12 miles, she said.
Bader lives in Freehold with her husband, Hal, and three daughters, and works for Seaside Materials on Broadway in Long Branch. She said that last year, Seaside Materials was her biggest contributor.
In addition to training once a week with the team, she often puts on her sneakers after work and walks on the Long Branch beach.
There are 12 women on the Jersey Girls for Shore team. Bader said 10 of them have committed to walking in Philadelphia, but she and Lida Sharp, a Hamilton resident and cancer survivor, are going to walk in Boston.
Bader said she supports the Komen Foundation because 85 percent of all the money that is raised goes to the organization to support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.
Last year, Bader committed to raising $2,100 in order to walk and actually raised $3,500. She hopes to do even better this year. In fact, her goal is almost double: $6,000.
Funds raised by all of the three-day events will be combined, with the majority of the net proceeds supporting international research in breast cancer. Remaining funds will be provided to local communities to complement previous Komen-directed dollars in each area funding breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was founded on a promise made between two sisters, Susan Goodman Komen and Nancy Goodman Brinker.
Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1978 at a time when little was known about the disease and it was rarely discussed in public. Before Susan died at the age of 36, she asked her sister to do everything possible to bring an end to breast cancer. Nancy established the foundation in 1982.
Anyone who wants to support Bader can log on to www.the3day.org, click on Boston and then on the Donate box at the top, and type Lori Bader.