Thursday, March 28, 2024

Local three-day walk fundraiser participants back on the road

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Last September Ellen Dezellem and Trudi Gamble, both of Brewster, took a long, long, loooong walk to help fight breast cancer. In the weeks immediately following the Breast Cancer 3-Day they weren't totally sure they wanted to go walking again-after all, it was 60 miles spread out over three days-but that was then. Now it's summer again, last September has receded in the rear view mirror, it's a really good cause, an important cause and-well, what the heck, they're back on the road. They're training for the Pacific Northwest three day walk, scheduled for September 12 through 14 in Seattle.

Last year they walked together, although they raised money separately; this year "we have chosen to pool our resources and databases and seek donations as a team," Ellen wrote. "Speaking of 'team' we would like to encourage others to join us." There's at least one new team member already, Trudi's niece Amanda Dinjian. They're ready to talk with anybody else who's thinking about participating. "We'd be glad to talk you into it. . .er, share important information and details," Ellen wrote. They've come up with a name for their team, the Jabberwalkies.

Participants are required to raise at least $2,200, which is donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. "The 3-Day is more than just a symbolic journey or an athletic challenge-it's a way to support the organization and the amazing work they do for the eradication of breast cancer," Ellen wrote.

Both women are out on the road, walking 30 to 35 miles per week with the goal of building to 40 to 45 miles per week by early August. They're looking for people to walk with them, especially on their "back to back" weekends, where they're walking 10-plus miles each day. The longest walk is 18 miles one day, 15 miles the next, on August 9 and 10. "We'd love to have some company, others who will encourage us and keep us going during those long days," Ellen wrote. Friends are invited along for however many miles they care to walk, not necessarily the entire distance, Ellen said.

In the meantime there have been other training walks, including fundraisers and promotion events for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Among them was a fundraiser in Spokane April 20, "short but memorable," Ellen wrote. "We met lots of great people and had the opportunity to hear the stories of some," including a young woman named Jenny. Jenny wore a sign that said, "Wanta be a Survivor;" she was diagnosed with breast cancer not long before the walk. She was facing a mastectomy and the difficult process of treatment. Ellen wrote she told Jenny she already was a survivor, and Trudi gave her one of the pins she was wearing. "We all cried, which is a common occurrence during Komen activities," Ellen wrote.

People who want more information on the 3-Day or who want to donate can contact Ellen or Trudi in Brewster.

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