By a happy coincidence a few "AIABers" just happened to meet on the walk route. At Douglas Park on Saturday and at Thunderbird Stadium on Sunday we stood, clapped and cheered in awe as some of the 2000 participants in this 60km marathon passed us by.

This was an amazing and most moving experience. Men and women, young and older, some in groups, some couples and some just on their own impressed and touched us all as they purposefully tackled the walk in their particular way.....some with quiet and others with noisier determination, some with smiles, others with tears. At Douglas Park families had brought picnics, chairs, their dogs, the baby, balloons, their knitting and their cameras, as they waited with anticipation for their friend or family member to appear.

It was there that we met Paul Smith as he waited for daughters Lauren and Sarah. Also in the pack was Meaghan Power and her team: many of you will remember her Mum, Jenny. We were on the lookout for the AIAB participants Barb, Orrie, Anita, Yumi, Tina, Carol and Rena. Between us we saw them all and they were all so great and we were sooo proud. Likewise, at Thunderbird Stadium at UBC, weary and elated they arrived to be greeted by a long, long line and by AIAB volunteers Pat McGuaig, Kathy Bawden and sister, Rae Philips, Heather Innes, Heather Stewart, Pat Eveleigh, Gail Bonner, Alice Pennington, Carol Short, Brenda Eastman, Marie Renholm and Debbie Giroux (apologies if I 've left anyone out ) who had been on duty at Killarney Park from 6:30am on both Sat and Sunday and throughout both days.

At the closing ceremonies we were told that these 2000 walkers had raised $5.1 million which will fund ground breaking breast cancer research and the acquisition of state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment in Vancouver.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Barb, Orrie, Anita, Yumi, Carol, Rena and Tina for your inspirational efforts over the weekend in raising not only money but also awareness and hope, in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

Jenny Silver, Anne Anthony, Jenny Yule, Debbie Middleton and Lynne Timm