Over three hundred people literally walked the walk and talked the talk about breast cancer in the first Nanette's Memorial Walk on a beautiful September morning in Middleburg, Virginia. The walk honors Nanette Hewett White who fought breast cancer for ten years before losing the battle, and it is organized by the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Fund created to honor Cheryl Atkins.

When Jim and Sandi Atkins decided to create a fund to benefit breast cancer research to honor Jim's late wife, Cheryl, whose nickname was "Cherry Blossom," they really had no idea how quickly enthusiasm would build to support the local initiative.

With the help of Karen Krei, executive director of the Piedmont Community Foundation, they set up The Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Fund. When Nanette's daughter, Lizanne Driskill, and Mary Jo Jackson, who has fought breast cancer for nine years were asked to help them with fund-raising activities, Lizanne suggested they organize an annual walk to raise money to support the initiative.