A Message From Our Founder
I am deeply honored to welcome you to Walk For A Purpose. This virtual walk to raise funds for breast cancer research holds a special place in my heart. The idea was born when I turned 60. My milestone birthday caused me to pause…to consider how best to steward my time and skills well. I tossed around many ideas, but the spark that got lit was walking to raise funds for breast cancer research. Breast cancer is a diagnosis that has impacted my family’s life. We were introduced to the disease in 2005 with my sister Yvonne’s diagnosis. Sadly, the disease spread and took Yvonne’s life in 2009 at the age of 36. In 2019, my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis and the side effects of chemotherapy robbed her of mobility and significantly changed the daily routine in our world.
In May 2025 I received a breast cancer diagnosis and I am now on a personal journey of treatment and recovery. I have had many beautiful women support me and my treatment decisions by sharing their breast cancer experience. One thing is very clear to me...breast cancer has forever changed many, many lives.
My family’s story is a major driver behind Walk For A Purpose: A World Without Breast Cancer, but I am also inspired by story after story of courage and resilience from so many in our community who have walked the journey of breast cancer.
Beyond raising funds, Walk For A Purpose is about folks joining together—family and friends, neighbors and strangers—to collectively pay tribute to our moms, our sisters, our aunts, our grandmoms, our nieces, our granddaughters, our friends. Breast cancer literally touches millions of lives. In our world today, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. And breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women. The disease can seem so monumental and unconquerable, but research is slowly and surely discovering more and more information leading to new treatments and longer lives. Plus, improved diagnostic testing results in earlier detection and easier treatment options with improved survival rates.
The 2025 walk will support two very worthy causes. You can direct your donation to the organization of your choice (or support both!).
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is the largest private funder of breast cancer research—and metastatic breast cancer research—worldwide and is the highest-rated breast cancer research organization in the country. I am inspired by this quote from their mission statement, “Until the number of deaths from breast cancer is zero, we will not stop. Join us and help fuel the research of tomorrow needed to save lives today. Everyone can be part of the solution. We are all part of the cure. The end of cancer begins with you.”
The Guthrie Troy Community Hospital (TCH) is a small, rural hospital in the community I live in. I am deeply grateful for the breast health services offered in our community. My cancer was detected through an annual mammogram and the vigilance of the radiology team at TCH. Guthrie Troy Community Hospital has made bold investments in breast care, including a $500,000 upgrade to its mammography
suite. TCH is raising funds to add Contrast-Enhanced Mammography, a powerful tool that improves cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue. Walk For A Purpose is pleased to partner with TCH to raise funds to activate this life-saving technology.
However you choose to participate with Walk For A Purpose, your partnership makes a difference, and I am profoundly grateful for your support.
Charlotte Morse