1,700 complete 60-mile cancer fundraiser

Mesa, Arizona - About 1,700 tired and dazed, but proud women and men took center stage Sunday at the spectacularly pink closing ceremony for the Arizona 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, after walking 60 miles and raising $4.1 million toward the fight to cure the disease.

Slideshow: Arizona Breast Cancer walk, day 2

About 1,700 tired and dazed, but proud women and men took center stage Sunday at the spectacularly pink closing ceremony for the Arizona 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, after walking 60 miles and raising $4.1 million toward the fight to cure the disease.

Slideshow: Arizona Breast Cancer walk, day 2

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"My calves are a little sore, my knees are sore, but I don't have any blisters so I'm good," a relieved Tina Nieto of Chandler said as she reunited with her husband and children outside Scottsdale Stadium after completing her third 3-day walk.

The journey had begun Friday in Gilbert and taken them throughout the south East Valley and into Ahwatukee before looping back up to Scottsdale for the final ceremony which recognized walkers and the "crews" who had cheered them on, as well as survivors and others who'd lost the battle.

More than 200 breast cancer survivors were among the walkers, including Cheryl Saylor, of Ahwatukee, a 10-year survivor who flew relatives in from as far away as Virginia to form the 13-member "Walkin' Robin" team, named for a friend who died from the disease just a few months ago and had been too sick to walk with her in the last two events.

"She's in a better place now," Saylor said.

Participants were required to raise $2,300 for the privilege of walking 20 miles a day for three days, camping overnight in pink tents and hearing family, friends and oddly dressed strangers yelling at them at the numerous "cheering stops" along the route.

The number of walkers was down about 300 and the amount of money raised down $1.1 million from last year's walk as Arizonans continue to save money. Nieto said she found it a little more difficult this time around to raise enough money to enter, but was able to do through e-mailed pleas to friends, garage sales and other means.

But along with exercise and raising money for research into one of the deadliest cancers for women, many walkers found new friends and a sense of community this weekend,

Kay Coffman, a nine-year cancer survivor from Tucson who carried a pink flag with the word "courage" during the closing ceremonies. She said her lower back was hurting so much after the first day she probably wouldn't have made it through Sunday if it hadn't been for the chiropractic teams available to her.

Even when she was back on her feet, she said, "if you get down to adjust your socks, there are people there to ask you if you're OK."

She said the number of her fellow cancer survivors on the walk who appeared to be younger than 35 reminded women must remain vigilant about their health, even when others try to persuade them there is nothing wrong.

"If you don't feel good and people don't listen to you, keep looking until you find someone to support you in that decision," she said.

She'd walked the course with her wife, Leigh Coffman, who noted that the walk had fallen on the ninth anniversary of the double mastectomy which saved Kay's life.

Looking ahead, "for the 10 years we'll do something fun," Coffman said. "Hawaii, Alaska, something fun."

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