Anne Jansen and family get ready for Race for the Cure's Family Fun Walk on Saturday, Oct. 7.

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Perhaps by now you know the story.

When Susan Goodman Komen was dying of breast cancer in the late 1970s and early '80s, her sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, promised to work as hard as she could to keep others from dying from the disease. And the Komen Foundation was born.

How fitting that family is at the very heart of the foundation. To take part in the annual Race for the Cure in Little Rock is to become part of the family that's helping Nancy Brinker keep her promise.

	Each person — whether a runner, walker or supporter — represents a successful effort in raising awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

Over the course of a dozen years, the Little Rock race has grown from a few thousand participants to some 40,000 strong. And each person -- whether a runner, walker or supporter -- represents another successful effort in raising awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

My personal allegiance to the Komen Foundation is also firmly rooted in family. At the Pasta Party on the eve of Little Rock's inaugural race, I met the race's medical director. Today, Dr. Ralph Broadwater and I have two sons, and we recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.

Our boys' lives were touched by breast cancer when their grandmother, my mom, was diagnosed several years ago. Ralph is a surgical oncologist -- a cancer surgeon -- who performed her mastectomy. Today, the cancer is a memory and she's enjoying spending her time spoiling her grandchildren.

I encourage you to join the ever growing family of people who take to the streets of downtown Little Rock every fall.