Tubbs Romp To Stomp Out Breast Cancer Raises over $40,000

STRATTON MOUNTAIN, VT — Team “In the Pink” stood out in the field of 375 who were at Stratton Mountain Saturday for the fourth annual Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer Snowshoe Series which raised more than $40,000.

With bright pink wigs, rhinestone sunglasses, neon parkas and Holly Hammond’s fuchsia gorilla hat, the fourteen women from Putney and Newfane included breast cancer survivors, celebrating three, 17 and 20 years, and their friends who teamed up to raise funds for the Vermont-New Hampshire Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and awareness for breast cancer education, screening, treatment and research programs.

“Thank you,” said Vermont-New Hampshire Affiliate President Rick Lovett, MD. “You don’t know how much you do for the women and men of Vermont and New Hampshire.” Since the first Komen Vermont Race for the Cure ® in 1993, the Affiliate has raised more than $3 million. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of volunteers working through local Affiliates and Komen Race for the Cure(R) events to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease.

Robbin Gibson on Winhall stood at the starting line for the 5k romp with her team “Sister Act,” which included three sisters – one of whom is a survivor herself — who had lost their mother to breast cancer. “Everyone knows someone,” Gibson said. “I did one Race for the Cure ® and I got caught up in the cause. It raised my awareness. Instead of feeling alone, you realize there are so many people. Here is a way to get together and celebrate people’s lives and hopefully save more lives.”

Saturday’s Romp opened with a 5k run. The culinary team from Dorset’s Inn at Westview Farm started their day with a breakfast of oatmeal and finished first and second in the 5k race. A third member of their unofficial team finished with a smile. Gregory Rems, sous chef, was first in the field of 20 with a time a 6 minutes and 53 seconds. “I cycle in the summer and this is something to do in the winter — it’s a good race for a great cause.” Chef Ray Chen was second with a time of 8 minutes. Page Madison, a junior at Burton and Burton, joined her colleagues in Saturday’s race. “This was my third snowshoe race and the best one yet. It was the course, the weather and the cause.”



Everyone was a winner in the 3k and 5k fun walks. The largest team and top fund-raiser with more than $10,000 was P-Ruby, launched by Alyson Ruby of Sunderland in honor of her mother who passed away from breast cancer last summer. Laura Flynn from Connecticut was the top individual fund-raiser with $3,000 and “more coming in every day.” Next week she completes the last round of radiation treatment and next year “we’ll have a huge team,” she said as her “Sista” Danielle Mancini nodded in agreement.



The Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer is a four-stop series that has raised $200,000 for the Komen Foundation. “As a company , we believe in snowshoeing because it positively impacts people’s health and well being. The Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer is a great illustration,” said Paul Adams, race director.



Snowshoeing has skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade. A trio of participants in Saturday’s romp have been out there for the last 15 years. “We snowshoe every weekend,” said Diana Kahn who was joined by snowshoe pals Linda Obletz and Diana Feneis. ” Our favorite time to snowshoe is in the morning. Our husband’s are out getting first ski tracks … we are getting exercise, fresh air and nature.”



Adams added, “Our hope is that one day we will do this race just for fun because we will have found a cure for breast cancer.”



For more information on the Vermont-New Hampshire Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, check www.vtnhcure.org.