By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

Osceola businesses and residents are marking Breast Cancer Awareness month in October with events, fundraising efforts and other contributions hoping to fund research toward a cure or vaccination.

Linda Hilfers, of St. Cloud, made a decision 10 years ago to change her life. She joined three gyms, signed up for fitness classes and lost 45 pounds. While she has slowed down in recent years, Hilfers still manages to make it to Gold’s Gym in St. Cloud six days a week.

In addition to her normal routine, Hilfers began using the gym’s new pink cardio machine this month because each mile she logs adds up to money for breast cancer research.

Gold’s Gym bought a hot pink treadmill and a high-impact cardio machine called an Arc Trainer from CYBEX, which will pay 10 cents and 20 cents per mile, respectively, throughout October to

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Hilfers, 59, is logging miles in support of her sister, Faith Wobig, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and is currently in remission.

“It’s just so great that there’s pink everywhere (in support of breast cancer research),” Hilfers said. “I think sometimes people forget about women’s health.”

This is the first year St. Cloud’s Gold’s Gym has participated in this program, general manager Susan Adams said. Gym members are averaging 20 miles a day on the Arc Trainer, which was delivered at the beginning of the month. Adams estimated three times as many miles will be logged each day on the treadmill, which arrived late last week.

“Gold’s Gym recognizes that breast cancer is the number two cause of cancer deaths in U.S. women,” Pleasant Lewis, owner of the gym, said in a statement. “We think members will choose to work out on the pink (exercise equipment) for their October workouts because they realize that every mile is one step closer to a cure.”

All five Central Florida Gold’s Gyms are participating in the program. St. Cloud’s facility also is accepting monetary donations for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Breast cancer affects almost everyone, Adams said.

“Everyone I’ve met or know, knows someone personally who’s been touched by breast cancer,” he said.

Gold’s Gym also is supporting Tracey Manchester, who is trying to raise $2,900 as a first-time walker in the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure walk in Tampa the last weekend of October.

Manchester began training for the event in January and while looking for sponsorship, was offered a complimentary membership to the gym to aid in her training efforts. Due to a heart condition, Manchester, who lives in Kissimmee, must constantly monitor her heart rate.

Manchester said she plans to use the pink treadmill as part of her training but tries to walk 20 miles a day around Kissimmee because the Tampa event is 60 miles of walking over three days. She said she averages between 14 and 17 miles a day.

Although she’s known several women with the disease, including her mother-in-law, Manchester said her main purpose for participating in the walk is to find a cure.

“My big goal is that they may actually come up with a vaccine or cure for my kids before they have to go through it,” Manchester, who has two teenage daughters, said. “I’m doing it for the kids, all kids.”

Manchester has raised $1,000 of the $2,900 she needs by Oct. 29 to participate in the walk. If she misses her goal, the money still goes to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

“I guess I got fundraising stumped,” Manchester said.

Central Florida post offices, including those in Osceola County, are selling a first-class Breast Cancer Research stamp through October, with 11 cents of each 55-cent stamp going to the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense, both of which conduct breast cancer research.

To date, according to the United States Postal Service, more than $70.8 million has been raised for research.

To donate to Manchester’s walk in Tampa, visit www.the3day.org/goto/traceymanchester.