Amy Weber is fighting back.

“I have four cancer survivors in my family – my mother is a 10-year breast cancer survivor,” she said. “We need a cure. I don’t want my children to ever have to wait outside an operating room, hoping for good news about their mother.”

Weber and four friends – they’re calling their team The Best Bressed – plan on taking part in the “Kansas City Breast Cancer 3-Day,” a 60-mile walk set for Sept. 15-17.

Her teammates are Cathy Cordova, a friend, Cordova’s mother, Bonnie Johnston, Johnston’s friend and co-worker, Michele “Shelly” Carlson, and Carlson’s neighbor, Nancy Guy.

All five live in Lawrence. Each is expected to raise $2,200 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust.

“I’ve already sent out 130 (solicitation) letters to everybody I can think of,” said Weber, a 32-year-old, stay-at-home mom. The group will join hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Kansas City-area walkers.

From left, Bonnie Johnston, Cathy Cordova, Amy Weber, Nancy Guy and Shelly Carlson prepare Wednesday for a three-day, 60-mile walk to raise money for cancer research. The event will take place in September in Kansas City.

“We had 900 walkers and 250 volunteers last year,” said event spokeswoman Jennifer Cawley. “We have 1,500 already pre-registered for this year.”

Plans call for participants – women, mostly – walking a different 20-mile course each day for three days. Rest stops will be set up at three-mile intervals.

“It’ll be in the shade as much as possible,” Cawley said. “We want to make this as enjoyable as possible.”

Members of The Best Bressed are one-third into the suggested 16-week walking regimen. “We’re usually up at 5 a.m. and headed out by 6 a.m.,” Weber said.

Cordova, 32, said she’s walking for three reasons:

“My mother was diagnosed with colon cancer four and half years ago; she’s a cancer survivor,” Cordova said. “My grandmother was in and out of remission with breast cancer more than 25 years ago; she passed away in March of 2005.

“And my friend Eileen Huffman is bravely fighting breast cancer now.”

Huffman, also of Lawrence, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.

“I beat it, but on May 2 we learned that it had metastasized to my liver and bones,” Huffman said. “So, here we go again.”

She praised The Best Bressed. “It’s because of people like them – people who are out raising funds for research – that I can get the drugs I need to fight the battle I have to fight,” Huffman said. “What they’re doing is very much appreciated.”

Cordova and Weber said they were aware of – but could not identify – other Lawrence residents training for the three-day walk. Cawley said a list of Lawrence participants was not available.