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The Hyland family is no stranger to cancer. Bill Hyland lost both his wife and sister-in-law to the disease, so when his daughter Jenni signed up for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, he decided he also wanted to contribute to the cause of cancer research and prevention.
Hyland decided he would participate by donating a portion of his Hyland Family Bicycles sales profits March 31 through April 3 to the Avon fundraiser, a weekend marathon walk scheduled for July 910 in San Francisco. Hyland also plans to sweeten his local fundraiser by raffling off two custom bicycles at his Willow Glen store.
For Hyland the event is business as usual. He has also raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation for terminally ill children and the Natalie Funda nonprofit for Batten's Disease research.
"It's just what you do," Hyland says. "I'm a fifth-generation San Josean. My family has always felt that taking care of the community is what makes the world go 'round."
For Jenni Hyland, participating in the Avon walk is something of a healing experience.
"I was pretty young when my aunt had cancer, and I didn't understand everything," she says. "A lady I work with was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, so it brought it all back up to the surface again."
Jenni says her personal experiences with breast cancer, along with the statistics about the disease, compelled her to participate in the 40-mile, two-day walk. She notes that a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed every three minutes, and about 40,000 people a year succumb to it.
"So many women get it," Jenni adds. "You're very likely to have personal experience with the disease or have someone close to you who has."
Jenni's team, the Pink Panthers, has been training for several weeks by walking for seven or eight miles along the Los Gatos Creek Trail.
In addition to the physical training, each member of the Pink Panthers--which includes Jenni's sister, Melanie Hyland-Penney--is expected to raise $1,800. While preparing for the walk can be tough, Jenni said, it's nothing compared to what cancer patients go through on a regular basis.
Jenni says participating in the walk is a good way to build a network for cancer survivors and their loved ones. Her father, Bill, understands the importance of this kind of support.
"When people come into my store that have obviously been going through treatment, it's easy to talk to them because I've been where they are," he says.
Hyland Family Bicycles is located at 1515 Meridian Ave., San Jose. For more information about donating to Jenni Hyland's Pink Panthers, call the store at 408.269.2300.
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Photograph by Cera Renault