Madison Woman Walking 60 Miles to Honor Friend 7-12-04 - Madison Eagle
I have a remarkable friend. You’ve probably seen Carrie Thompson walking around Madison with a pack of sweaty, happy people on Saturdays and Sundays. Every weekend since mid-March, Carrie has been training to walk in the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in October and she’ll be ready.
Carrie’s participation in this event comes from her desire to do something special for me. In August I will have been recovered from breast cancer for five years, and she, the excellent friend, signed up for the walk. When I asked Carrie what made her decide to make the commitment, she said, “I’d never walked more than 3 miles at a time, but I was sure I could do this and it seemed like a wonderful gift to give you.” (I think for her last birthday I gave her a pencil carved to look like a dog. She’s walking 60 miles in my honor. Hmmm.)
Carrie and I became friends the moment we met four years ago, ‘me too’- type friends, who have a huge amount in common. One thing I’m pleased to say we don’t share is breast cancer. When Carrie told me she wanted to walk in my honor, she asked if it would be all right. All right !!? I loved the idea, and was touched beyond belief. I then had the nerve to ask if she would also walk in memory of my friend, Maureen Dougherty, who died of breast cancer two years ago. A bright, witty Irish woman, Maureen knew she was dying, and asked her friends to think of her now and then and remember her kindly. Carrie is now walking in honor of both Maureen and me. She will be walking 60 miles in three days, beginning at Rockland County State Park in New York.
In training this past weekend, she walked 16 miles on Saturday and
16 miles on Sunday. She doesn’t walk alone. Carrie was so determined to train
correctly for the walk that she became one of the official Training Walk
Leaders. This entails mapping multiple routes through Madison, and each
weekend people who have found her through the Avon 3 Day website meet her at
Madison High School. She gives instructions on safety, hydration and
stretching before the training walk begins They walk through Madison for as
long as 7 hours, and usually end with lunch at the Main Street Café.
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In order to participate in the walk, Carrie had to agree to raise a minimum of $1900. “My original goal was $2500, but I passed that in just 2 weeks of fundraising. The support of all of my friends has been overwhelming. I’ve now raised $3800 and hope to reach $5000 by the fundraising deadline of September 13th.” Money raised by the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade is used to find a cure for breast cancer and to fund access to care for those in need. The proceeds are applied to research, clinical care, financial assistance and support services, education and advocacy training, and early detection and awareness programs throughout the country. |
If you would like to support Carrie’s fundraising efforts, please send a check made payable to “Avon 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk” to: Carrie Thompson, 11 Hoyt Street, Madison, NJ 07940. Donations can also be made online by accessing Carrie’s website at http://homepage.bethepeople.com/search/. Enter her name to access the page.
How do I say thank you? I know it’s not necessary, but thanks, Carrie, for honoring me, and bringing us all closer to the cure. And thanks for keeping Maureen’s memory alive.