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DSU Alums to Participate in Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk This Summer

A group of alums from Dakota State University will be participating in a 3-day Breast Cancer Walk in Kansas City June 17-19. Nadene (Bamberg) Barthman, ’01, Heidi (Klinkhammer) Alfson, ’00, Heather Thyen, ’01 and Sonja (Kamrud) Langerock, ’01, will be walking in memory of Nadene’s mother, Hazel Bamberg, who died of breast cancer in November 2004.

 l-r:  Sonja Langerock, Nadene Barthman, Heidi Alfson, Heather Thyen

Each member of the team has to raise $2,100 to enter the event. The Komen Foundation will receive 85 percent of the net proceeds of the Breast Cancer 3-day walk to support breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment programs. The remaining fifteen percent of the net proceeds will benefit the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, an endowment, which will ensure that the cause receives long-term, continuing support irrespective of gifting activities in years to come.

Since graduating from Dakota State, the four women have been made an effort to get together several times a year, even though they live in different towns. Nadene is in Sioux Falls, Heidi in Mitchell, Heather in Castlewood, and Sonja in Madison. After Nadene’s mother succumbed to breast cancer last fall, the friends wanted to do something in her memory. Participating in the 3-day Breast Cancer walk was something they could do as a team, and get others involved as well. The walk attracts thousands of men and women, most of whom have been affected by the more than 200,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Sonja Langerock says they named their team Woody’s Walkers after Nadene’s mom. “Her name was Hazel but we all knew her as Woody. She was only 55 when she died, after fighting breast cancer for 2 years.”

The walk is a 60 mile trek over the course of 3 days. To prepare, Nadene, Heidi, Heather and Sonja have been training, putting in 18-35 miles of walking a week. Breast Cancer 3-day walks are held throughout the nation during the summer months. To learn more and to help the alumni team raise money for this event, visit their team website at Woody’s Walkers at www.the3day.org