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Expedition Inspiration’s Snowshoe Dinner
photography by Nils Ribi
In her book, The Climb of My Life, Laura Evans quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” When thinking about cancer, there is a harsh yet inspiring duality to Emerson’s words. Laura Evans, who after surviving stage three breast cancer founded the Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer Research, had a profound understanding of this twofold reality.
Cancer is “us” in the deepest sense, caused by an uncontrollable growth of the body’s own cells. It is the inner evil, the nightmare diagnosis and yet it is still us. But cancer survivors, like Evans and millions of others, also bear witness to the power of the human spirit, the ability and possibility to overcome the disease by never giving up. So what lies within us, when it comes to cancer, is exactly that battle between good and evil, life and death. Last Saturday’s 7th Annual Twilight Snowshoe Dinner and Auction, hosted by Expedition Inspiration, was an incredible testament to life and the belief that hope is as empowering as breast cancer can be devastating.
The event took place at the Valley Club in Hailey. The attendees started the evening with a group snowshoe across the rolling golf course. The hike at twilight was a tribute to Laura’s heroic ascent of Mt. Aconcagua, in which she led sixteen other breast cancer survivors up the highest peak outside the Himalayas. Photos from this expedition and Evans’ many adventures temporarily filled the hallways of the Clubhouse, where guests were also greeted with a bubble bar, finger foods and a silent auction. The roughly one hundred and fifty attendees later trickled into the elegant dining room for dinner and the opportunity to hear guest speaker, Dr. Kimberly Allison, describe her own path back from breast cancer and the promising future of cancer research.
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A bit of the fun had at the 7th Annual Expedition Inspiration Twilight Snowshoe and Dinner. (Photos by Nils Ribi.)
Expedition Inspiration is unique because of its commitment to individuals and of individuals like Dr. Allison, who is the Director of Breast Pathology at the University of Washington. While being an advocate for prevention, the charity is ultimately a fund for medical research. For founder Laura Evans, the crucial “summit” was always a cure for cancer and Expedition Inspiration has remained steadfast in that goal. Despite the stories of survival, breast cancer is still the second-leading cause of death amongst females.
Not surprisingly, it is also the cancer that gets diagnosed most frequently; according to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime. The statistics are frightening. But so is climbing 23,000 feet shortly after brushing death, as Evans and her team did.
This annual event brought out crowds of supporters to the auction and dinner following the twilight snowshoe at the Valley Club. (Photos by Nils Ribi.)
Confronting the problem head-on, Expedition Inspiration uses the proceeds from its various fundraisers to organize the Laura Evans Memorial Breast Cancer Symposium, which will be held in Sun Valley for the 16th year this March. According to honorary board member Susan Tucker, the symposium is nationally significant because it brings together a small group of the world’s leading breast cancer experts to openly discuss their research. Many of the attending researchers are also awarded direct grants by the fund. Yet at its essence, the event is an intimate and powerful collaborative affair, which over the years has fueled new partnerships and new treatment protocols. Unwaveringly ambitious in its intent, the Laura Evans Breast Cancer Symposium is the brazen guide in this mountain analogy, gathering a talented and diverse team to summit the impossible.
The trademark Expediton Inspiration prayer flags. (photo by Alec Barfield)
Interestingly, Expedition Inspiration eschews the pink ribbons. Rather Laura Evans chose prayer flags to identify the organization. Despite the name, these colorful banners contain no prayers of supplication. Buddhists instead expect the mountain winds passing over the flags’ mantras to spread compassion and goodwill for the benefit of all human beings. Filling the background of Saturday’s Snowshoe Dinner and Auction, the Expedition Inspiration flags were personally inscribed with the names of breast cancer survivors and victims. Perhaps Laura thought the pervading spirit of these tokens would compel support for the fight of breast cancer. Regardless, the flags, as the imagery of a successful ascent, convey the power of the human spirit and the hope for an emerging cure.
A beautiful way to celebrate. (Photo by Nils Ribi.)
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