A little backstory: I never thought I’d run a marathon, but I also never thought I would call myself a breast cancer survivor at 35. During the most challenging time of my life, I traveled to New York City for a 2nd opinion oncology visit. The care I received was exceptional and I fell in love with the city. It was the breath of fresh air and hope I needed. In an ongoing journey of physical and mental recovery, I signed up to run a half marathon last fall. I surprised myself over and over with my ability to just keep going. It was then that I decided… IF I ever ran a marathon, it would be the NYC marathon and ONLY if I ran for a breast cancer charity team. So, here we are!
Why run for charity?
- I’m doing this for my kids. My hope is that with continued breakthroughs in science, they will not have to worry about their potential BRCA mutations… and so they don’t have to say goodbye to their mom prematurely.
- I’m doing this for my family members who have battled breast cancer: my grandmother, my 3 aunts, my 4 great aunts, my cousin, and numerous 2nd & 3rd cousins.
- For my friends who have been diagnosed way too young.
- For my mom & sister and all the other previvors. - - I’m doing this because I hope that one day the number won’t be 1 in 8.
- I’m doing this because… I get to!
Thank you so much for contributing to this cause that is so very near and dear to my heart. Think Pink Rocks is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness about early detection and genetic testing for breast cancer, precisely the reasons I am here today.
Thank you so much for your support!
Love,
Erica 🩷
•Think Pink Rocks website: https://thinkpinkrocks.org
•Recent Update on Research from Memorial Sloan Kettering (Dr. Abuhadra is my oncologist!):
https://thinkpinkrocks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Think-Pink-Rocks-Breast-Cancer-update.pdf
A message from Think Pink Rocks:
Thank you so much for your generous donation to Think Pink Rocks in support of our runner participating in the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. Your contribution makes a meaningful impact, helping us advance groundbreaking breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan and other breast cancer centers. Your support empowers our mission to support innovation in treatment, detection, and prevention—offering hope to countless patients and families. As we continue the fight against breast cancer, we also encourage you to help spread awareness of a critical prevention tool: knowing your family health history. Early detection and awareness can save lives, and your generosity helps us share this message far and wide. Once again, we deeply appreciate your kindness and commitment to our cause. Together, we are making strides toward a future without breast cancer.
