Canadian Living salutes: Kelly Shires

The success of Snow Run
Last year's fifth annual Snow Run raised $141,000 in pledges and corporate sponsorships. Jane Cozens of Midland, Ont., is one of the women it helped. Partway through her chemotherapy, Jane's employment insurance ran out, but she wasn't eligible for welfare and had a month to go before the benefits from her workplace kicked in. "Kelly's fund took a lot off my shoulders," says Jane. "It helped me pay my rent and buy food. I'm grateful. It felt good to know she was there and is there for others."

Suzy, 31, says that's what Kelly is all about. "She is a determined woman who focuses her energy on how she can help others," she says. "When I think I'm having a bad day, I look at Kelly and think, If she can get up every day and smile, what do I have to complain about?"

The organizers plan to keep growing the event each year and want to expand it across Canada. One of their biggest challenges right now is letting women in need know the fund is there for them.

As the event's media relations director, that's something Suzy is working on. "Kelly is a huge inspiration for me," she says. And so are all the women who travel together that day. "When I see the number of people and number of snowmobiles there in the silence," Suzy says of the race start, "I want to cry."

To find out how to access funds, make a donation or participate in the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Snow Run, visit www.breastcancersnowrun.org or call 1-877-436-6467.