Every participant in this Sunday's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure has a personal reason for being there. For one Mountlake Terrace couple, it's about the wife's breast cancer and the husband's efforts to get fellow employees to sign up for the race.
At the Boeing plant in Everett, Randy Martinson is on the 777 production line.
"I work in the 777 wing join area," said Randy. "We just join the wings to the plane and then do all the heavy structure on it."
This weekend, he'll have another mission: the Race for the Cure.
"My wife was diagnosed with cancer in the beginning of April," said Randy.
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"I had the double mastectomy on April 30th and I just started chemotherapy last Wednesday," said Heidi Martinson, Randy's wife.
Randy and Heidi were married two years ago. She's only 37.
"It was scary at first, kind of shocking and kind of hard to believe," she said.
Despite the after-effects of chemo, she's vowing to lace up her walking shoes.
"Yeah, the walk - not the run," she said.
This is her son Cameron's contribution: a tattoo. And yes, it's real.
"It was an excuse to get a tattoo and I thought it would be a good way to support my mom at the same time," said Cameron.
The Martinsons remain optimistic.
"The good thing is that she's young and that's always good when you're doing chemo and stuff," said Randy, "and they caught it early too."
Boeing is offering to donate $100 for every company employee who crosses the finish line at the Race for the Cure, so now Randy is actively recruiting his co-workers.
"That's a lot of money they can raise if a 1,000 people show up, 2,000 3,000, all the more," he said. "I just hope there's cure after a family member's been through it, it's hard."
The Komen Foundation is hoping other companies will follow Boeing's lead. To get credit, Boeing employees need to register with both Boeing and Komen.
Of course, anyone can register for the Race for the Cure. Be sure to join KING 5's Jean Enersen this Sunday morning at Qwest Field as the event kicks off.
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