A few weeks ago, after walking around the various Fort Eddy Road stores, I stopped at the supermarket to buy some groceries. When I was finished grocery shopping, I realized that I still had to walk out to my car, located somewhere in another time zone. On my way out, already tired from all this walking, I noticed two young women, Becca Sears and Lydia McKenzie, who were soliciting donations for a breast cancer walk.
These two were not of the in-your-face variety of solicitors. No. They were extremely polite, engaging in conversation with shoppers only when queried about what they were doing, and even offering cookies and peppermint candy to everyone! More important, what they were seeking donations for was of great importance. Not donations for athletic or band uniforms. Not donations to take the dance team to Los Angeles to compete on “America May Have Talent But We Don't,” but donations and pledges to defray expenses so that they may walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, May 2-3 in Washington, D.C. The length of the walk is approximately 40 miles, a marathon and a half, or, as I like to put it, my cumulative walking miles since I was up and toddling. That's a lot of walking.
I went out to my car, grabbed a copy of The Insider with my picture in it, (no, not the one taken from the Post Office wall! Geesh!), walked back to where Becca and Lydia had stationed their donation desk, and asked if they would be willing to talk with me about why on earth they would want to walk so much in such a short span of time. Since they didn't tell me to keep walking, I took this as a sign of tacit approval.
Both young women are in their senior years of high school – Becca at Concord High and Lydia at The Derryfield School – and are close friends. They have been doing the breast cancer walks locally for five years, usually with their mothers. Last year, they participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Boston, and, despite a grueling 40 miles in two days, they came away with a great sense of accomplishment, knowing that what they did would help make a difference in someone's life.
Oh, and they also want to beat their moms in the amount of pledge money.
Unlike local walks, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer requires that each participating walker raise a minimum of $1,800 in pledges. That's just for the privilege of walking. Both Lydia and Becca have set their goals a little higher, hoping to raise $2,000 each. Combine that with having to pay their own expenses down to Washington, and that translates to a lot of money.
Now, we all know that walking is great exercise. I've walked 40 miles before. Well, as I previously stated, cumulatively. My walking 40 miles at one time is akin to traipsing up Mount Everest. Ain't gonna happen. And if you take into account that my definition of walking means using the escalator and the moving walkways at airports, you'd understand the respect and admiration I have for Lydia and Becca.
What motivates them? Simply put, the statistic that one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Their hope is that by raising both money and awareness to support research for this dreaded disease, that number will be drastically reduced and hopefully a cure found. And, as they are walking with their respective mothers, they hope to continue a tradition of family and friends bonding while doing good for others. A cause most noble.
Since all this talk of walking has made me tired and put my overly fertile imagination into overdrive, I decided to come up with some appropriate tunes for their MP3 player, in hopes of motivating them even more. My suggestions:
• “I'm Walking” by Fats Domino
• “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith
• “Walk Like An Egyptian” by the Bangles
• “Walk Like A Man” by the Four Seasons (For male walkers who actually think they can outdo their female counterparts.)
• and the most appropriate song: “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits.
I wish to offer my support to Lydia McKenzie and Becca Sears. Too often, when you read or hear about teenagers today, it is in negative context. Those who are trying to make a difference quietly are more often than not left unheard.
Support in the form of donations can be made at the following websites: avonwalk.org/goto/ lydia.mackenzie or avonwalk.org/ goto/beccasears.
