Molly Shore
Lisa Tabor knows a good route when she sees one.
As vice president of production for the Avon Walk for Breast
Cancer, the Burbank resident oversees logistics for walks in eight
U.S. cities. She is responsible for designing each course, including
the one that starts and ends at Universal CityWalk and will pass
through Burbank today and tomorrow.
“For me, it’s like a big puzzle,” Tabor said. “You spend a year
putting together all the little pieces, and when the event actually
hits, you’ve got your completed jigsaw puzzle.”
Nearly 1,800 walkers are expected to participate in this weekend’s
run, which offers participants a choice of distances -- 26.2 miles on
the first day or 39.1 miles over two days. Participants have raised
$1,750 each to enter, event spokeswoman Caroline Weilert said. The
money will fund breast cancer programs and research.
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of death among women in
the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated
211,000 women nationwide will be diagnosed with the disease this
year, 40,000 of which will die. In California, approximately 21,100
new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed, and about 4,000 will
die from the disease.
Tabor, 38, has been involved with special event fund-raising for
various organizations and companies over the past 13 years. The
Avon Walk for Breast Cancer holds a special place in her heart.
Last September, Tabor’s stepmother was diagnosed with breast
cancer and underwent surgery. Paula Millimet, 63, has completed
chemotherapy and is expected to finish her radiation treatments this
week.
“I definitely think I’m doing this for Paula,” Tabor said. “It
gives me one more very strong reason for why I do this.”
Hearing the stories of so many cancer survivors serves as an
inspiration for Tabor.
“It’s an incredible feeling to spend all of these weekends with
this group of women and men who are united in a single cause -- to
put an end to breast cancer,” she said.
Walkers, who will travel along Riverside Drive in Burbank, are
expected to reach the General Motors Training Center at Riverside and
Main Street in Burbank around 7:10 a.m. today, where a cheering
section will greet them, Tabor said.
Walkers will then continue to Johnny Carson Park on Bob Hope
Drive. From there, they will walk to Alameda Avenue and then to Olive
Avenue and take Olive to Avon Street past Stevenson Elementary
School. Participants will turn left on Verdugo Avenue and continue to
Los Angeles.
The site of the Wellness Village, where participants camp
overnight, will be at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, Tabor said.
