October 7, 2003

Elk River Star News 
Elk River, Minnesota


She’s walking around the world, and into Elk River

by Joni Astrup
Associate editor

She’s walked about 12,000 miles across four continents.

Come Sunday, Polly Letofsky will walk into Elk River.

It’s all part of her five-year, 15,000-mile walk, which is raising money for breast cancer research and awareness about the disease.

Letofsky started her trek four years ago. She’s on the home stretch now, walking through Minnesota on her way to Colorado, where the GlobalWalk will end in August 2004.

Letofsky will stop at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Broadway Pizza, 16754 Highway 10, Elk River. Broadway will donate $3 to breast cancer research for each large pizza ordered that day. Letofsky’s stop is also sponsored by the Elk River Lions.

A Twin Cities native, Letofsky started walking around the world on Aug. 1, 1999. Her journey has taken her through countries from Singapore to England to India to Greece.

Along the way, Letofsky has walked through 25 pairs of shoes.

As she walks, she imparts two messages about breast cancer:

•80 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors.

•Women need to be their own advocates when it comes to their health. Every lump should be tested, Letofsky said. If your doctor doesn’t want to run the test, see another doctor.

For more information about Letofsky’s walk, go to globalwalk.org.