Hi everybody!  I am participating in the Avon 39 on the Youth Crew for my second time this year.  I am 12 years old and in 6th grade at Big Springs Elementary in Simi Valley and I have some pretty good reasons for participating in this great cause.  Last year my dad was informed that he carries the BRCA2 gene because my grandmother tested positive for it so he was tested.  I know you don't hear much about men getting breast cancer but it DOES happen and my dad has a higher chance of getting it then a man without the gene.  When Britt and I turn 18 we have the choice of being tested to see if we carry the gene.  There is a 50/50 chance that we can carry it and if we test positive, what that means is that we have around an 80% chance of getting breast cancer.  Over the years I have learned so much about the disease because my mom has participated for 8 years and because my grandma and my aunt Christine are survivors, it doesn't scare me that much.  Also, because of all the donations that are given to Avon 39, I am hopeful that by that time there may be a cure.

I am required to raise at least $500 to EARN MY 39, but I plan to raise much, much more!  Last year I raised over $1500 because of the awesome support all my family and friends gave me.  I hope that I can count on my supporters from last year and others this year so I can hit my goal of $1500 that I am setting for myself.  I know that it is a lot to ask, but even $10 helps get me one step closer.

You can make a donation right here on my webpage by clicking the "Donate Now" button to the right. If you prefer to write a check, click the “Donate By Mail” button and follow the instructions on the form.

Your donations will be managed and disbursed by the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. The dollars you pledge will put food on the table of a breast cancer patient and her family. They will enable access to mammograms and medicine, fuel research, and save lives. Need any more reason to click that Donate Now button?

I’m joining with thousands of other 39ers. We’re banding together in solidarity and have one goal: to take breast cancer down. So many sisters and mothers and friends have been lost. We see a world without breast cancer for our daughters and nieces. AVON 39 is a force of change that can’t be stopped. By supporting me with a donation, you’re part of it.

Thank you so much, Love Courtney