Thank you to everyone who worked so hard this year to make our walk a tremendous success. We knew with the difficult economic conditions that it would be a tough go this year but managed to raise nearly $75,000 SO FAR!  Please remember the movement does not stop today until next year. The fight is constant and we need to keep going for future generations. Once again, our sincerest thanks to everyone who helped us pull this off, particularly Heather who likely sent us the good weather.

I thought that some of you would want to read the essay below:

Written by 12 year old Melissa Cheeseman - friend of Heather.

Eighty-five thousand dollars, all for lung cancer. I was really tired that day. I had walked three miles at a walk for lung cancer. After walking I felt as if I'd never be able to walk again. The walk was dedicated to Heather Saler, my hero. I remember that day she took the time even though she was sick, to come to her walk. She is my hero because she has taught me that it is possible to accomplish difficult things. But she didn't teach me this in one day, or even a week! It took about four or five years, ever since I met Heather.

Heather had a very long battle between herself and lung cancer. Heather got this horrible disease when she was 34 years old. It was at a very young age. When the doctors discovered the cancer they soon found out that it was at a very bad stage, stage four. At that age she had terrible eating habits. She had eaten a lot of junk food. Thinking it would help her, she started eating a macrobiotic diet. I never thought it was very appetizing, then again I was about 8. But either way this diet helped Heather in a tremendous way!

Later on Heather received a surgery to remove the cancer from her lungs. Fortunately, the surgery succeeded to remove the cancer. But soon afterward she developed the disease again. Except it was a lot worse! She was on an oxygen tank for a really long time. After a few weeks she went back to the hospital, not for another surgery, but for chemo therapy. I wasn't allowed to visit her. I really wanted to see her but my mom said, " She's changed a lot, I'm afraid you won't recognize her." One day my mom had come back from a visit to the hospital. I  had asked "How is Heather? Is she getting any better?" "No she's getting worse," my mom replied. One day she had gotten so bad that her son had to leave school to visit her, just in case. That same night she had passed away. When I first heard this it was a day later and I was at one of my softball games. People had been talking about her being dead and I asked my mom if it was true. She had said she didn't want to talk about it at that time but I had begged and pleaded. Then my mother replied "Yes." I was so upset I had to force back my tears so I didn't start crying in front of my friends. I still remember while I was at bat I had thought to myself, "This hit is for Heather." I ended up hitting my first double.

A couple of days later we went to her funeral. I had cried really hard. I  still remember the priest saying "Although she died, she still beat the disease." That's when I learned it. It is possible to accomplish difficult tasks. She was an amazing, courageous, strong woman. Even though she had passed away her memory still lives on. Most people cannot survive lung cancer for five years. But Heather did and she showed me that it is always possible to accomplish hard tasks. This is why Heather Ann Saler is my hero

- Brad Saler