| Updated: 102802 0109pm |
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| 3-Day Journal October 17-20, 2002 |
| "I'mpossible Dreams" -Pallotta TeamWorks |
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| Day Zero...Santa Barbara...Registration...STAY ALERT...STAY ALIVE |
| I arrived at the showgrounds about 2pm. All I could see was LINES LINES and more LINES!!! I didn't think I would meet anyone or even see anyone I knew there. But out of all those people, 4663 to be exact [but maybe more, since people were being dropped of by their friends or family] I was able to spot Ken, Dre's older brother. I saw Ken while I was waiting in line for the Safety Video [STAY ALERT...STAY ALIVE! HYDRATE...HYDRATE...HYDRATE]. After the video we headed on to the Donation Line. The lines weren't too bad, considering we were talking to people all around us. The couple ahead of us, were from Irvine and the group behind us were from San Francisco. Questions of the weekend 'Are you from LA?' 'What brings you to this event?' A couple of girls that were from San Francisco, did it 'JUST BECAUSE!' Which is wonderful. After the Donation Line, was yet another Line, the Check-In and Tent Assignment Line. Anyways, Ken and I were able to tent together...whew, I was getting a bit scared about who I was going to tent with. After all the orientation on how to walk in Santa Barbara, I drove back down to Long Beach. |
| Day One...Santa Barbara...4663 Participants...196 men...$6 million net |
| Friday morning started very early. I was up at 230am, since Melvin and Auntie Nor had to drive up to San Francisco for my uncle's services at 1030am, we left Long Beach at 300am. Surprising enough, when I arrived at the Showgrounds, there were a lot of people milling around. Opening ceremonies was beautiful. We were blessed by a beautiful PINK sunrise, very fitting to the event. It was an emotional opening ceremonies. A group of women, 'the survivor circle' entered the ceremonies and here the most touching words that were uttered "These women surround an empty circle. Inside it, spirit. The spirit of all those lost to breast cancer. We use this circle to survivors to remember a time when there was laughter and conversation. We use it to bring back, for a moment, the sounds of their voices, the fleeting mist of their faces in the eyes of our minds. A circle for all the memories...when they walked with us...the beauty...the laughter...." After the ceremonies, the participants began to walk. I was part of the last group leaving the showgrounds. It took about two and a half hours to get all 4663 participants out of the showgrounds. As I approached Pit Stop one [Where you pee] all you see is a line of porta-potties. I've never seen so many at the same time. All in a row. The Grab and Gos [Where you pee, grab energy food or see a medic] had theme's, were the crew members are dressed in costumes. For example, there was Margaritaville, Disco Inferno and a Hollywood theme Grab and Go. Walking along the route I was more sleepy than tired. I was starting to knock out even though I was walking. Crazy huh? At the end of the day, we were bussed back to camp. When we arrived at camp, there was a line of people cheering us off the bus. Who would have known that walking can stir that much cheer. As soon as we got to camp, Ken and I had to put up our tent. We had to put it up in the dark. Our neighbors behind us, gave us a hand in putting the tent together. The tent was up and running within minutes. It was about 800pm and we only had an hour to shower and eat. OMG, the showers....we showered in these mobile showers. These showers were built on trailer trucks. There was about 20 shower stalls with only a dinky curtain between you and the person waiting for you get out. I've never takin a shower so fast in my life. After the shower I met up with Ken at the dinner line, that's where I met Louie, Jennifer and Stacy [Jennifer's tentmate]. Camp was pretty dead after 900pm. |
| Day Two...Oxnard...sore...sore...sore |
| Waking up cold and to a wet sleeping bag is not fun. But remembering why you are there, you forget any doubts that you had. I don't think the porta-potties were emptied over night. They smelled as bad as there were the night before. Ken and I started the walk at about 730am. We walked out on the route with June and her mother in front of us and Jennifer, Louie, James, Heather and her mother behind us. It was pretty cool walking with familiar faces around you. By the time we reached Pit One, we all separated and went on our way. Along the way to Pit Two, I met Henizal and Belle. They are both from the LA area and did the walk, 'Just Because.' [Some strange reason...majority of the minorities I met were Filipina] Then at Pit Two, I met the woman who reprised the role of Sally Fields character "Gidget." I was so excited when I met her, I love that show. Girls and surfboards, how could you go wrong. Anyway, though the pain in my legs and feet were bothersome, I kept on treking on. I was the last group to make it to lunch. I almost crawled to lunch. As soon as I got to Camp that evening, I went straight to the showers. Then the rest of the evening I spent with Louie and Jennifer. Our entertainment that evening was 'According to Jim,' Jim Belushi and of course the World Series. Day two was the night that Ken, Louie, Jennifer and I bonded. The four of us were in the dinning tent way passed curfew [which was 9pm]. Like my brother would say, we were 'Shooting the Sh*t!' That we claimed ourselves TEAM: FOUR MOM PLUS ONE! |
| Day Three...Oxnard...most painful |
| This was the most painful and coldest night. As bad as I wanted to go to the bathroom, I just couldn't do it. I was shivering in my sleeping blanket [which also got wet in the middle of the night], my body was so tired, that I couldn't get up to go pee. At about 6am, I couldn't hold it anymore. Got up, brokedown the tent and got ready for the last day. Ken and I met up with Louie and Jennifer for breakfast. We started the walk with our TEAM FOUR MOM PLUS ONE. But, before we walked out onto the route, a crew member [Laura] asked how I felt. And I didn't lie, I told her I was in so much pain, that it hurt to go pee. Muscles in your feet that you didn't know you had, HURT. She told me to go see a Medic, but first to find another crew member with a radio. I found another crew, but he wasn't very helpful, so I continued on the route. I walked as far as I can. As soon as I got to Pit one, I went to the Medical tent. As I stood there, Laura comes up to me and tells me (in a scolding manner) that I shouldn't have left camp in my condition. I lost it...I was balling...balling my eyes out, thinking I couldn't finish. As I stood there balling, Laura tells me her life story [Making me ball more] 'You being here, walking, is more than enough. You raising the money that you did, is wonderful. Because of you I am here, I'm a 15 year survivor with three kids. Because of you I can see my three kids. This weekend is not only a physical challenging, but mentally as well.' She suggested that I needed some rest, that my body was on overload. As I stood there balling, Jennifer is comforting me, I turned to her and said 'I pulled a Jennifer.' [On the previous day Jennifer also had a breakdown] We both started laughing. I took Laura's advice, it took about six miles off my walking. Before I boarded the bus to lunch, Jennifer gave me her friendship bracelet and I asked her to take my mom's picture [So Mom would experience the walk that I was missing] with her on the walk. I waited for Louie, Jennifer and Ken at the Lunch Stop. As I sat waiting for the TEAM, I watched people walk with determination to finish the walk. There were women walking on crutches, women with their legs, knees or feet taped up, and one woman in a wheel chair. As sore as I was, I got up and walked the last 4.5 miles with the people I began the day with. As we go closer to the finish line, the adrenaline built more and more. The support from the cars honking as they passed us by and little kids giving us high fives as we walked by. I was feeding off the energy that these people were giving. I forgot all about my aching feet. When we arrived at the finish line, Ken and I saw the group that we met on Day Zero. With 4600 people, we were once again brought together. Since our group was the last to arrive, walkers, friends and family [Melvin, Auntie Nor, kleir and Dre] cheered us on as we walked into the holding area. Closing ceremonies was a huge celebration. The participants walked in with our Blue shirts, the survivors in Pink and the crew in White. As I walked into the ceremony, I was searching the crew line for Laura. I spotted her and went up to her. When we saw each other we hugged and cried for joy. I told her 'I did It!' She responded "I'm so proud of you. For a moment, all the words coming out of her mouth, sounded as if it was my mom. My mom, for that moment, was in my arms once again. Mom somehow became Laura. The Power of a Moment! And that was the 3-day. |