We asked Pink Out in the Park organizer Krista Hair to share details about her Grassroots Partner event, her inspiration, her goals and her own breast cancer diagnosis…
- Tell us about the Pink Out in the Park!
In the fall of 2021, I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. I spent much of that fall and winter of 2022 thinking about what I could do once I finished my treatments and knew that I had fought this battle and won. It kept me focused. A good friend of mine told me to keep looking forward and never look back. That summer of 2022 I decided I wanted to start some kind of advocacy walk in Carlisle and I reached out to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition to ask how I might get it started. The entire staff was so helpful in providing all the information and resources necessary. I reached out to Karen Byers, who has been an advocate and volunteer with the Coalition since its inception and a life-long resident of Carlisle. The 1st annual walk was in October 2022. On behalf of so many members of our Carlisle community, including many family, friends, field hockey and soccer team players and families, church families and my loving Senate work family, I’m so proud that we’ll be together again to holding a 3rd annual Pink Out in the Park walk on Sat., 10/19 at 9am. We’ll have local businesses present too – Crazy Glazed will be there with donuts and coffee again – they were a huge hit last year!
- How can people in the community get involved in the walk?
Anyone can pre-register via the link provided on the flyer at pbcc.me/2024pinkout. Anyone can come to Valley Meadows Park in Carlisle and register that morning of the walk. Something new this year – if there is someone you’d like to walk in honor of or join in the fight for, we’ll have opportunities for this as well. If anyone has ideas, we’d love to hear them too. All are welcome.
- What is your hope / what are your goals for this year’s event?
We hope to double our attendance and donations again. The 1st annual walk was about 50 attendees, was a lot of close friends and family; the 2nd annual walk last year was over 100 attendees plus at least 10 dogs (half of them Golden Retrievers) and was comprised of many friends, family, neighbors, community members. There are several ladies who travel from Lebanon County, over an hour to attend; and two of my aunts travel almost two hours to be there each year. I love hearing from friends that they look forward to it every year. This is why we continue to do this together, we’re all trying to do some good and make a positive difference!
- What inspires you to support the PA Breast Cancer Coalition?
I have a very close friend who is currently battling breast cancer, she’s just beginning her journey. I have another friend who just finished her treatment. I have a co-worker whose mother was just diagnosed. I am inspired to help the Coalition because they do so much for women (and men) and families who live in Pennsylvania. I like that all funding is kept in our Commonwealth, including providing for free Friends Like Me care packages to those who are diagnosed; contributions to cancer researchers in PA; focus on patient advocacy, programs and services. The walk has become one of my favorite days of the year – a way for me to help others and come together with so many people I love – so that we can walk together with a purpose, supporting the PBCC’s mission and continued work to find a cure for breast cancer and help raise awareness for early detection.
- As a survivor, what has breast cancer taught you?
As a survivor of early stage breast cancer, I’ve learned that it is possible to take something negative and turn it into a positive. I truly enjoy helping others who are starting this journey or who have rung the bell at the end of treatment or have a friend or family member and they want to know how they can help them. We all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Together, we can fight for them to make a positive impact and raise awareness about early detection – it definitely helped save me.