Cara Kendrick had always figured breast cancer was no threat to her family, she said.

After all, there was no history of it in her bloodline.

"I always thought if you were diagnosed with breast cancer, you have to have it in your family," the Coeur d'Alene woman said.

Not true, she discovered.

Kendrick learned the hard way, she added, when her sister in Colorado was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago.

Since then, her family has soldiered through her sister's chemotherapy and blood transfusions, Kendrick said.

"She's really tough," Kendrick said. "I don't know how she does it."

Kendrick has also since discovered that 80 percent of women who develop breast cancer have no family history, she added.

And she wants to spread the word.

"We are the best advocates, when it comes to our bodies," she said. "It all falls on us."

The community has a chance to help.

Folks can take part in both raising breast cancer awareness and funds for research this July, Kendrick said, at the fifth annual Raft for the Cure.

The daylong event will include rafting down the Clark Fork River in Montana. There will also be a ceremony to honor women fighting breast cancer and those who haven't survived.

"I don't know a single person who is not in some way affected by breast cancer, whether it's a loved one, a friend, an acquaintance, an associate," said Kendrick, who helps organize the Coeur d'Alene Race for the Cure. "This disease is so incredibly widespread that it's crucial we find a cure."

ROW Adventures puts on the event because it's an enjoyable fundraiser that is safe for all ages, said David Creamer, center manager.

"It's a great cause, and a great way to get out on the river," Creamer said.

Folks will meet at 9 a.m. by the river, he said, with lunch and the ceremony scheduled around the middle of the day. The rafting trip will finish around 5 p.m.

There is room for 84 on the trip, he added.

"It's a cool event," he said.

Every space is $100, which covers lunch, gear, a T-shirt and guides for the trip. Half of the dollars will go to the Susan G. Komen foundation to fund cancer research.

The trip, which raised $4,000 last year, has boosted spirits both for survivors and relatives of folks with breast cancer, Creamer said.

"It's great for them to see there are people out there supporting the research and helping contribute to a foundation that is fighting breast cancer," he said.

Folks are encouraged to register for the event soon.

They can do so by calling ROW Adventures as 770-2517, or by emailing david@rowadventures.com.

"Our plan is to fill every single space," Creamer said.