Make New Friends, but Keep The Old...One is Silver and the other Gold.

These are words that I have been singing every night with my daughter Shannon for the past few months. The words flow out like the ABCs and our evening prayer. When I truly think about the meaning behind the song, my heart feels full. I have been so incredibly blessed throughout the years with friends. Each and every year I get a chance to make “New Friends” and connect with “Old Friends”. When I think about the “chapters” in my life, I am reminded by my friends that I made in gradeschool, my friends that I made in high-school, my friends that I made in college, my friends that I made in Boston, my friends that I made in Chicago while having my babies, and now my friends that I have made and am making in Colorado as my “babies” grow. So many of you have left huge imprints on my heart and I am forever grateful for our friendship. For those of you have known me for years, you may remember that in 2001 I ran the Chicago Marathon for my “Big” in the Business Fraternity that I was in at Dayton. I had plans to run the marathon already, but did not know what was driving me to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma. Not until a month into my training did I know that Sarah Grover Sullivan was diagnosed with the disease that would drive me to far exceed my fundraising goals. Sarah battled cancer throughout the summer before our Junior year of college and then in to the school year. I will never forget our drives to and from Indy and Chicago for her treatments and for my training runs. I pushed my aches and pains that I experienced while training under the rug knowing that Sarah’s were far worse. While having my babies I took a break from running and yoga became my new therapy. Fast forward to recent years where I have been blessed with “New Friends”. These “New Friends” have encouraged me to lace up the running shoes again and make new goals. As I begin my training again, my same friend Sarah is now battling breast cancer. You are probably thinking “What the heck”? Well, Sarah is a fighter and is more than halfway through her treatments. She will survive this battle just like she did all those years ago. All of this being said, I am being called to race for Bright Pink. My fundraising efforts are being fueled by Sarah’s impeccable commitment to life. Not only is she the Mother of three gorgeous children, a Wife to one incredible guy, a Daughter to the most amazing couple, a Sister to two beautiful souls, but she also has a full-time job and is one of those Gold Friends that I will hold close to my heart forever. Sarah and I believe in Bright Pink and their cause to raise money to make women of all ages Aware of the risks of Breast Cancer.

I am committed to saving women’s lives from breast and ovarian cancer and I need your support to achieve my goal of $3000. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and one in seventy-five will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Equipping women with early detection and prevention strategies is crucial to reducing these numbers, and that’s why I’m raising money for Bright Pink through my campaign page https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/team-bright-pink3/colleenyoo.

Bright Pink is a national non-profit organization focusing on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women, while also providing support for high-risk individuals. Bright Pink equips, educates, and empowers young women and their health providers to be proactive and see themselves as advocates for their health.

Every dollar raised will go directly to fuel Bright Pink’s free education and support programs offered nationwide. You can find more information about Bright Pink’s work at brightpink.org.

I am on a mission to save lives, and I need your support. You can make a 100% tax-deductible donation at https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/team-bright-pink3/colleenyoo and track my progress toward my goal. Because of generous contributions from people like you, we can continue to work toward a better, brighter future for women.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this entry in its entirety and considering supporting this cause. When life gets hard, I keep my dear friend Sarah in mind. Her strength and determination to beat the disease is what gets me through.