Today on Snack Chat, Loren Woeber from the PepsiCo Global Controls and Compliance team shares a recap of her experience working with the Susan G. Komen Foundation on the Race for the Cure event which took place last weekend in Plano, Texas, near our Frito-Lay headquarters office. As a volunteer, Loren helped rally PepsiCo employees to increase their knowledge of and support the fight against breast cancer, and encouraged employees to participate in the 5K race.
As I walked around the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure event on Saturday, it was evident that it wasn’t about me finishing the 5K run/walk, but rather about our colleagues, friends and family members who’ve been affected by breast cancer. I witnessed many hugs, tears and laughter shared among the people gathered for this year’s race. The survivors are courageous and are truly heroes in their own right.
Participating in Race for the Cure is a great way show support for the women and men who fight the battle against breast cancer and to learn about their stories. As I walked around the garden of “pink tulips” on display at the race (pictured left), I noticed each offered a personal story of someone’s experience with breast cancer -- being a survivor, caring for a family member, or sadly, remembering someone that has passed. I was amazed at how many people turned out for this event, walking or running together to fight breast cancer. As for me, I walked for my grandmother who fought the battle for many years. Thanks to early detection and treatment, she lived a fairly healthy life well into her 80s.
As I crossed the finish line, I knew I would walk away from the race feeling pride and gratitude.
Pride: I felt pride that I work with such a great group of people at PepsiCo who truly care and have a
sense of purpose for this cause. Through our partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, over the years we’ve raised $1 million in donations to fund materials for early breast cancer detection and prevention. At Saturday’s race, 459 PepsiCo associates and family members participated, and we collected more than $22,500 in donations, making PepsiCo the No. 1 corporate supporter for the Plano event. Now that’s something to celebrate! After the race I helped hand out bags of SunChips and Baked! Lay’s. People were excited to receive samples of the snacks (many said they were their favorites) and were also happy to see the Komen pink ribbon on the package.
Gratitude: After the race, I also felt gratitude for all the hard work the Komen volunteers put into making the race event a great success. It took an army of more than 60 volunteers to plan for the PepsiCo race rally, which took place across multiple PepsiCo locations in Plano, Texas, including the Frito-Lay headquarters building. The volunteers succeeded in raising awareness by distributing Team PepsiCo race-day t-shirts, coordinating race day events and chip sampling, and much more.
So for everyone who walked or ran at Saturday’s Race for the Cure event and supported the cause by giving your time or donating money, you did the right thing! Thanks for helping us “Be Fearless” in the fight against Breast Cancer.
- Loren
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