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As a child, and already an avid cyclist, Kathy Betz's dream was to ride a bicycle across
the United States. At that time, her objective was to accomplish this physical and mental
endurance journey as a personal victory. However, as her interest in women's health
issues strengthened she decided to dedicate her transcontinental bicycle ride to raise
awareness for breast cancer.
Kathy teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and began a 29-day solo journey across
the United States in July of 1996, appropriately named, Bike4BreastCancer. Her main objective
was to raise awareness for breast cancer and to provide the latest information relating to
all aspects of breast cancer detection and treatment. On the 3000-mile bike ride, she met
hundreds of survivors, as well as families of those who had been lost to this dreaded disease,
anxious to tell their story. While many experiences had a happy ending, there were those that
were left with only memories of their loved one, wishing they could have done more, or known
of a better, earlier method of detection or treatment, and thus ultimately saving the family member.
At the conclusion of Bike4BreastCancer 1996, there certainly was a sense of fulfillment, but
at the same time a desire to do more. Ironically, it was only a couple of months following
Kathy's return from the 1996 ride that her mother, Lois, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Thankful that early detection and treatment had made her mother a survivor, and eager to share
her personal experience in an effort to raise awareness, Kathy formed Bike4BreastCancer, Inc. as
a non-profit organization. As a tax exempt non-profit organization, Bike4breastcancer will have
bi-annual cross country bicycle rides as well as local events to achieve the mission of eradicating
breast cancer.
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MANAGEMENT PROFILES
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Bob
Buchanan
President
Bob is a retired Senior Program
Manager at Motorola, Inc.
responsible for management of
multi-million dollar projects
building cellular systems, city wide
WiFi systems, and Digital telephone
systems, for customers throughout
the Northeast corridor.
He is an avid cyclist (he logged
over 5700 miles in 2007) and is a
board member of the Harford Velo
Cycling Club in Harford County,
Maryland. Bob lives in Bel Air,
Maryland where he has been riding
the hills of Harford County for the
last five years.
Bob recently lost a 2nd Niece to
Cancer. Phoebe (34) was diagnosed 2
years prior, and succumbed to breast
cancer peacefully at home with her
family and husband at the end of
summer 2007.
Bob decided that he could do more
to help fight cancer and to support
cycling events by helping to raise
funds for awareness and education.
The funds from these events help to
provide an early diagnosis to give
the medical community a logistical
advantage. |
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Sue Morris Retired in 2000,
Sue and her husband Bill moved to
their home in Northern Michigan from
the Detroit area to enjoy the quiet
life and beautiful scenery the area
offered.
She became involved with
Bike4BreastCancer and the Pink
Ribbon Rides through her friend,
Kathy McDonald, in 2002. The
Inaugural Charlevoix/Emmet County
Pink Ribbon Ride was held on June
21, 2003. Sadly, Kathy had lost her
battle with breast cancer in January
of that year, but the ride went on
in her memory. On January 21, 2008,
we will have our 6th Annual Pink
Ribbon Ride.
Sue and Bill have two sons, Bill
and Pete, their wives, Kendra and
Melanie, and four beautiful
grandchildren, Billy, Emily,
Samantha and Raymond. |
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Stephen P. Smith Currently,
Stephen P. Smith works with children
in need of Crisis Intervention in
the Harford County Public School
system. He is also an entrepreneur
and former upper-level manager in
the corporate world.
As a husband and father who
recently experienced the loss of his
wife to pancreatic cancer, he also
has a personal commitment to the
eradication of cancers of all kinds.
He never wants anyone else to
experience what his spouse, as well
as he and his children had to go
through in that battle. Therefore,
he will make a difference in the
lives of women and men in their
fight toward early detection,
treatment and ultimately elimination
of breast cancer and all other
cancers. And what better time can
there be, but now. |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Frederick
W. Walker, M.D., FACS
After graduating from the Ohio
State University College of
Medicine, Dr. Walker completed his
surgical residency at the Johns
Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore,
Maryland. There he developed an
interest in the problems of breast
cancer including early detection and
treatment. Dr. Walker's practice
primarily consists of breast disease
and he has been a leader in
image-guided biopsy, including
ultrasound guided breast biopsy and
stereotactic breast biopsy. He
utilizes sentinel lymph node
examination, ductal lavage, and
genetic testing with his patients.
Dr. Walker's practice is in Harford
County, Maryland. He has been an
avid bike rider since 1998 and a
member of the Board of Directors
since 2004. |
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