In the summer of 2000, Margit Esser-Porter travelled to Japan with our Climb Against the Odds Mt Fuji team. Undaunted by altitude sickness she reached the summit of the 10,000 foot peak, and as she mentioned in her email to me, she has the tea towel she bought at the summit to prove it! She trained again for Mt Shasta 2003. That same year, our founder Andrea Martin was dying of cancer and could not join the team. As Margit headed for Shasta, sent Andrea a beautiful handmade talisman made of glass for fragility and jade for strength. Andrea in turn sent that talisman up the mountain with a dear friend, climber Ellen Kahn who in turn passed it on .. and on.. until it reached the summit. It has become a ritual on all BCF mountain climbs for Margit's talisman to reach as high as it can each time we climb, Margit's personal summit has been in the journey - not the top of the mountain. All these years, she has been a Strong Voice for the Breast Cancer Fund. Now, Margit needs our love and prayers - she is facing another diagnsosis of breast cancer. She is strong and she knows that it will take one step at a time, roped in to her team, with love and support around her, carrying her tea towel wrapped to her chest as a reminder of the journey. I ask you to join me in sending Margit and the 40,000 + women who will hear they have breast cancer this year our well wishes. We'll dedicate a prayer flag to Margit and one of our climbers will carry her flag on Mt Shasta in June and another will carry her talisman. The Tibean prayer flag program at BCF is a powerful way to honor and remember. Margit is why we do this work and while our hearts break to hear this news, we are stronger than ever in our commitment to reduce exposures to toxic chemicals and radiation that are conributing to this epidemic. Keep climbing with love,
Jeanne Rizzo
Executive Director



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