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MORADA — For just one second, Big Joe Goodwin’s eyes tightened, but he got that lump in his throat down in one good swallow. His face shone with pride when he saw his granddaughter, Bear Creek softball player Cecily Sammons, walking towards him.

Putting a tender arm around Sammons, Goodwin whispered, “You did good, Cecily, your mom would have loved your senior project.”

Sammons’ senior project — organizing the inaugural Rivals Unite to Fight Breast Cancer softball tournament along with Bruins coach Kirk Klucznik — more than likely earned her an A-plus for her efforts in paying tribute to her mother, JoeElla Goodwin, who passed away from breast cancer at age 38 in May of 2004.

Looking up at her late mother’s father, who now spends his golden years raising Cecily and her sister, Jillian Goodwin, Sammons nodded.

“I know my mom is proud of me,” Sammons said poignantly. “This is what she would have wanted me to do.”

According to Klucznik, the total proceeds from the two-day charity fundraiser to benefit the St. Joseph’s Mobile Mammography Unit won’t be known for a few days. But Sammons speculated that about $4,000 would be raised to help fight the deadly disease which claimed her mother four years ago.

Sammons said the charity fundraiser was already an unparalleled success in raising awareness of breast cancer, judging from the packed stands at Arnaiz Stadium in Morada. The unprecedented and overwhelming support of the fans and sponsors ensures there will be another RUFBC tournament next year.

“I got my message out to the people who are here. I am actually shocked at the turnout and especially the emotional support of all of the players and coaches,” said Sammons. “When my mom passed away, that was the only time I had ever seen my grandfather cry. I hope he never has to ever again because of breast cancer.”

Through Thursday’s early games, San Joaquin Athletic Association teams held a 10-5 lead over their Tri-City Athletic League counterparts in a tourney pitting the conferences against each other.

The first league to reach 12.5 points will win the tournament.

Lodi played a large role in the SJAA’s success, defeating McNair 10-0 and West 2-0 on Thursday to in finish 4-0 in the tournament.

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SHERIDAN — The town of Sheridan was draped in pink this week as residents decorated Main Street with ribbons and carnations in support of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.In January, Noblesville resident Susan Gillim started an effort asking Sheridan residents to join a team for the race and raise money and awareness to fight breast cancer. Her husband owns MAIN Architects on Main Street in Sheridan, and the couple are building a home there.

Her goal is to motivate Sheridan residents and businesses to raise $5,000 for Race for the Cure. The 5K run/walk is April 19 in Indianapolis.

According to the Indianapolis affiliate of Race for the Cure, the town’s team has raised $1,715, or 34 percent of its goal.

Here are two upcoming events in Sheridan to raise more money, plus an important deadline to sign up for the race:

The Sheridan team will host a Rummage for the Cure sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Community Center, 300 E. Sixth St. All proceeds will go toward the team’s $5,000 goal. Donations are collected at Town Hall. For more information about donation times, call (317) 758-5293.

Team members and volunteers, dressed in pink, will be posted at the intersection of Ind. 38 and Ind. 47 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5 collecting drive-by donations for Race for the Cure.

Donations of cash or checks, made out to Komen Race for the Cure, also can be dropped off at Sheridan Town Hall or MAIN Architects on Main Street.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the 5K run/walk, is April 19 in Indianapolis. Individuals can register by mail until March 31 and online at www.komenindy.org until April 14. Entries are $25. Teams need to register online or by mail by Friday.

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BRAMBLETON, Va. – One in seven women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life.

Everyone else will most likely be touched by it in some way.

That’s why a group of 36 women of all ages and backgrounds, mostly from Brambleton, has gotten together to help fight breast cancer and promote awareness of the disease.

The women, who call themselves the Step Sisters, are a team participating in the 2008 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer marathon-and-a-half in Washington, D.C., May 3-4.

The team comprises those who have been diagnosed with the disease, cancer survivors, family members and friends. As part of their mission to raise $1,800 a person for the 39-mile, two-day walk in May, they’re hosting a 2-mile mini-walk April 12 in Ashburn.

“A lot of people want to do something, but they can’t commit to a two-day thing,” team member Heather Phillips said. “This is something they can do.”

The walk is open to anyone in the Ashburn area and all over the region, said Phillips, a Brambleton resident. The goal is to help raise some funds and educate women about breast cancer and the importance of getting annual mammograms to try to detect the disease.

“Just as important is the awareness,” Phillips said. “And this is a great opportunity for families to do something together.”

The mini-walk also will include activities for children like a moon bounce, a firetruck and refreshments.

Step Sister team member Ashley Campolattaro completed the Avon Walk for the first time last year after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“She lives in Maryland, and I’m in Virginia,” she said. “This was a way to feel like I was doing something to help get her through it.”

This year, a close friend and neighbor, Karina 2mey of Brambleton, who also has breast cancer, will complete the Avon Walk with her fellow Step Sisters at her side.

“I know walking with them, it’s going to be OK,” said 2mey, who is still in treatment for her cancer. “It’s therapeutic for me. I told my doctor I wanted to do this because I wanted to do something that pushed me to the edge. She said, ‘You’ve been through radiation and chemotherapy — you already have.’ But this is something I can control. I knew I needed to do something positive.”

2mey was diagnosed with breast cancer about a year ago at the age of 37. Since then, she said, her neighbors in Brambleton have provided her family with support and help with things like meals and taking care of her young children.

The Avon Walk is a way for her to be part of something with them, she said. It’s also her chance to show people that young women can get the disease.

The Step Sisters have raised $64,000 so far toward their cause through fundraising and generous donations. Right now they are the second-highest-fundraising Avon Walk team in the nation.

The Step Sisters’ preparations for the 39-mile walk also include training. Walking 39 miles takes conditioning, and blisters are one of the biggest things to prepare for, Campolattaro said. Good shoes and socks are important.

In the end though, whether you finish the walk or not, it is worth it, she said.

“It’s a really powerful event,” she said. “It puts all these faces on the disease.”

Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com

by Elizabeth Coe @ Loudoun Times-MirrorBRAMBLETON, Va. – One in seven women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life.