For several years, teacher Kim Kefalas helped organize a tradition within Linden Public Schools, gathering breast cancer survivors for a group photo every October. Then, in 2024, she recognized an opportunity to do more to show support for educators impacted by breast cancer. The school district – and the entire Linden, N.J., community – could come together for a breast cancer walk that would both show support and raise money to help end breast cancer.
“There are two kinds of people when you are diagnosed,” Kim said. “There’s the quiet and reserved, and then there’s people like me. I’m very open and vocal about my experience, and I wanted to bring attention and awareness to the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives.”
Breast Cancer Experience Inspires Action
In 2013, Kim was home with her son and daughter, cooking breakfast, when she experienced a sudden stabbing pain in her armpit. She went to the hospital, where doctors told her she had an infection. After two weeks of antibiotics, she began to question the initial diagnosis.
“I didn’t understand how someone who isn’t breastfeeding gets a breast infection,” Kim said. “The diagnosis didn’t sit right with me, and they finally sent me to see an infectious disease doctor.”
Eventually, Kim underwent a biopsy, which provided the answer. While she did have an infection in her milk duct, the infection was caused by a tumor blocking the duct. Within a week of the biopsy, Kim was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma.
“It was a shock because I had a clear mammogram in August, and I was diagnosed in October,” she said. “It was HER2-positive and extremely aggressive. By the time I received the diagnosis, it was already stage 3.”
“I’m very open and vocal about my experience, and I wanted to bring attention and awareness to the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives.”
Kim Kefalas
Kim’s treatment began with six months of chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy, radiation therapy and breast reconstruction. Five years later, she learned the implants used in her reconstruction were recalled due to a high risk of a rare lymphoma: breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
“It felt like everything was starting all over again,” Kim said. “I didn’t have drains after the third surgery, and I ended up back in the hospital with fluid in my lungs. I was put through the wringer.”
Supporting Others Through Shared Experience
After her own experience with breast cancer, Kim became an unofficial sounding board for other faculty and staff within the school district who were facing breast cancer diagnoses of their own.
“I remember those days of not having a soul know what you’re really feeling,” she said. “As much as you have family there supporting you, unless they’ve been through it, it’s hard for them to know what to say. If I can help get someone to another day, then it’s worth it.”
Bringing a School Breast Cancer Walk to Life
For the past two years, Kim and a team of volunteers have spent months planning the Linden Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. It’s held each October at the Linden High School football stadium during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The event has grown into more than just a walk. While participants take multiple laps around the track, they can also explore vendor booths and activity stations designed to bring the community together in a variety of ways.
“This year, we had volleyball, canvas painting, bracelet making and several vendors,” Kim said. “There were a lot of different options of what you could do.”
In the weeks leading up to the event, that same sense of community extended across the entire district through a variety of fundraising efforts. They sold T-shirts reading “Every step closer to the cure,” while students and schools took part in friendly competitions to raise money.
“We provided all the schools with paper shoes that the students could purchase for $1 and then decorate and hang up in the hallway,” she said. “We also organized a penny war, where you could donate loose change. All the schools had their own individual fundraisers, but the paper shoes and the penny wars were a universal fundraising effort across the district.”
The Growing Impact of a School Breast Cancer Walk
In just one year, the impact of the school district’s breast cancer awareness walk has more than doubled. After raising just under $3,000 in its inaugural year, the 2025 event raised $7,888. While the event continues to grow each year, it’s the sense of connection that stands out to Kim.
“My favorite part is the first full lap that everyone walks together,” she said. “It’s not just about wearing the shirt. It’s about showing up, holding hands and being a shoulder to cry on.”
Start Your Own School Breast Cancer Fundraising Walk
Go Pink for the Cure is Komen’s school-based program encouraging breast cancer awareness and healthy living while fundraising to help end breast cancer. To learn more about how your school can organize its own breast cancer walk, email gopink@komen.org or visit komen.org/gopink.
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their healthcare provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
