A-B Employee Debbie Murphy Talks about Her Experiences
Leading Anheuser-Busch’s Komen Race for the Cure Team
IN HER WORDS: The primary reason I became involved with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is because I am a seven-year breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in 2001 and I have been a member of the Anheuser-Busch team every year since. Our team consists of thousands of co-workers, retirees, family members and friends, all of whom are driven to support the fight against breast cancer for various reasons. For the past four years, I have been honored to serve as a co-chair of the team.
We all know someone who has either survived or lost the breast cancer battle. In order to find a cure for this disease we must fund programs to educate, screen and treat, as well as show our support to those affected by the disease. The best way I have found to accomplish all of this is to participate in the race.
On race day, the number of people participating in the race and the amount of pink you see is simply incredible. Last year I had the privilege of being in the front line of the survivor procession. All I saw were smiles, arms raised in triumph, and tears of joy, from my fellow breast cancer survivors. I was overwhelmed by the number of hugs I gave and received from family, friends and people I didn’t even know, yet to whom I felt I had a special connection.
I walk for a variety of reasons but in particular for my daughter. When I was diagnosed, she was only 10 years old. It is my hope that by the time she is an adult, we will have eradicated this disease.
Our team goal this year was to raise $115,000 and we at Anheuser-Busch raised more than $122,000. All of the support the team received this year through registrations, donations, bracelet sales, bake sales, auctions, jeans days and other fundraising activities was fantastic and we surpassed that mark. We receive a tremendous amount of support from our co-workers and Anheuser-Busch.
-- Debbie Murphy, June 2008