Ten years ago, two friends launched a new breast cancer foundation, one where every dollar raised would go directly to research. Today, the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation and its annual Walk Across Southeastern Connecticut have raised more than $3 million and awarded 30 research grants.

Co-founder Sandy Maniscalco said the idea came after she, fellow cofounder Norma Logan and 30 other walkers participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure in 2004 and 2005 and raised $200,000 for the organization. Logan decided to look into where the money was going and found that 40 percent was going to overhead costs.

“One evening in October, three of us were walking … and Norma began telling us the story of this research she had done,” Maniscalco said. “‘This is totally unacceptable,’ she said. ‘We’re just going to form our own foundation.’ And the next thing that came out of her mouth was, ‘It wouldn’t matter if we only raised $30,000, any money that we raise, we would direct it to breast cancer research.’”

Despite her own diagnosis, Logan didn’t want the organization to be named after her and instead honored her friend Terri Brodeur, who died in October 2005 after being diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer.

Michelle Sottile Hoyt, Brodeur’s sister, said Brodeur and Logan were both positive throughout treatment and passionate about raising awareness and making an impact. Currently, there is no cure for Stage IV breast cancer, and Logan died six months later.

The organization was launched with non-profit status in February 2006, and since then, 30 $100,000 grants have been awarded to scientists conducting breast cancer research. Maniscalco said the review committee tries to target young researchers in the northeast in order to help them secure funding in such a competitive field.

This year, the committee also visited the recipient institutions to meet the researchers and see exactly what they are funding, which includes research on immunotherapy and brain metastasis. Recipients from 2013 and 2014 also presented at the first ever research symposium at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital on Sept. 17.

The first walk was loosely based on the 3-Day with inspiration from other organizations that host fundraising marathons. Marcie Brensilver, a 10-year walker and walking recruitment captain, said the foundation wanted to do a walk instead of a run in order to open up the event to people who aren’t able to run.

Over time, half- and quarter-marathon options have been added, but most participants register for the full marathon. Until last year, Brensilver who is also a breast cancer survivor, walked at the back of the group as encouragement for the other walkers. Most of the walkers who don’t think they can finish are able to do so, she said.

“When you get to the end, it’s such a feeling of accomplishment when you hear people cheering and you hear your name announced and you see the balloon arch,” Brensilver said.

Like every year, the 10th anniversary walk begins at 6:30 a.m. in Old Saybrook with the national anthem, speeches from the children of Terri Brodeur, and a warm-up. This year, however, the walk ends at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center instead of Camp Harkness because the theater is donating their space for closing ceremonies in case it rains. Volunteers on the route have “pit stops” every three miles for snacks, water and encouragement, and vans and town police are available for assistance.

Sottile Hoyt started doing the annual walk with her nephew, who was too young to do the walk on his own at the time. While the 26.2-mile walk isn’t easy, she said the organization allows her sister’s legacy to live on, and the soreness she feels is nothing compared to what people go through during their cancer treatments.

“There’s just a drive in me to want to finish and push myself beyond limits,” she said. “My two days of agony pales in comparison.”

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411