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Thousands race for a single cause For Amy Johnson the Race for the Cure is personal. She survived non-Hodgkins lymphoma at 28. Now 42, she's battling breast cancer. On Sunday, 49 of her friends and thousands of others gathered to raise funds for research to find a cure. Amy Johnson thought she was through with cancer. Fourteen years ago, when she was 28, Johnson endured the rigors of treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She lost her hair, she slowly regained her strength and then she moved on. "I was so done with it," said Johnson, 42, a self-employed attorney from St. Paul. "I was into being a survivor and helping people. I never thought I'd be here again." But on April 6, Johnson learned she had breast cancer. And with it came the rush of fear, anger and uncertainty that she had hoped was a thing of the past. On Sunday, 49 of Amy Johnson's friends and family members made sure she wouldn't face treatment and recovery alone. They formed "Team Amy," and joined an estimated 50,000 others at the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure. In its 13th year, the event was held for the first time at the Mall of America in Bloomington. "Team Amy" was organized by two cousins, Jill and Robin Johnson. They gathered the troops at 7:30 a.m. for coffee and bagels and handed out white embroidered caps, personalized water bottles and small red hearts designed by a friend whose business, Love Medicine, goes by the motto that "a daily dose can heal the w! orld." Still tender from surgery two weeks ago, Johnson rode a motorized scooter. Much to the delight of the youngsters on the team, Johnson seemed ready to do donuts in the parking lot as the group set off on the 5K walk. "I can't imagine Amy not laughing," said Laura Davis, a friend. "I've always admired her." The Twin Cities event is the third largest in the country behind Denver and St. Louis, said Denise Blumberg-Tendle, a spokeswoman for the Komen Foundation in Minnesota. Organizers hoped to raise $2.5 million dollars this year through donations, pledges and entry fees, she said. Three-quarters of that will stay in Minnesota for research, education, screening and treatment. The remainder goes to the national foundation, all of which is used for research on a cure. The foundation reports that, so far, it has raised more than $214 million for breast cancer education, treatment and research. The mood during the walk was festive. Four women wrapped! in red boas entertained a small parking lot crowd with a boisterous r endition of, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Another team donned headbands with a purple butterfly and bouncing pink flowers. There were drummers by the roadside, youngsters on shoulders, cancer survivors wearing pink T-shirts. "Team Amy" fell right in step, an upbeat collection of friends from law school, childhood buddies, business associates and plenty of family. "Amy's got a strong personality and a knack for staying in touch with people when most of us lose touch over the years," said her brother, Paul. "She's uncommon in that way." Amy's mother, Lois Johnson, called from Palm Springs, Calif., halfway through the walk. Her breast cancer was diagnosed last year when she was 67, and she survived the death of her son, Mark - Paul's twin and Amy's brother - two years ago. Still, she sees hope. "We see this walk today as a celebration of recovery. That's what we're hoping," she said. "It's a promising world out there because of new medicine and ! treatments. It's much more promising than it was for our mothers, that's for sure." Her daughter feels hope, too, but said some days are better than others. Just months ago, Johnson was starting out a new relationship and sinking her energy into a law practice she fully enjoyed. "You know how the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote runs off the cliff and doesn't realize it - but as soon as he looks down, he falls? That's what happened to me yesterday," she said. "I looked down, and wham. It hit me." Louisa Hex, her partner, describes Johnson as "the poster person of positive." "It's a long process, but we think the outcome will be good," Hex said. "She's a brilliant woman with a big heart and incredible sense of humor." Jackie Crosby is at jcrosby@startribune.com. Copyright 2005 Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities
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