Aloha … from BetheFive country girls for a cure
RANDOLPH, April 21, 2009 –A year ago, Gifford Medical Center’s Genesee Dodge strapped on her sneakers and spent two days walking nearly 40 miles around the streets of Boston as a participant in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
By mile 10 she had blisters. By the end of two days, the Chelsea resident was exhausted. Not until two weeks later did her aching muscles fully recover.
While amazed by the event and the $9 million the Boston walk raised to support breast cancer program’s like Gifford’s, she didn’t plan to do the walk – and raise the $1,800 entrance fee – again this year.
Her friends had other plans.
Inspired by Dodge’s participation in the 2008 walk, friends Missy Kilmer of South Royalton and Casey Clark of Sharon wanted to walk with Dodge, and she was soon convinced.
It was a statistic she heard while cheering on Dodge in Boston last year that made Kilmer want to join the effort to raise money for the Avon Foundation, a nonprofit that works to provide women nationwide access to care and to find a cure for breast cancer.
“Every three minutes another woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer” was the statistic that stuck with Kilmer.
“For me, that statistic really hit home. That meant that while I was at work for eight hours another 160 women and men were diagnosed with breast cancer … just while I was at work, and we all know cancer never sleeps,” Kilmer said.
“Now,” says friend and fellow walker Christina Madore of South Royalton, “there are five of us walking.”
Walking together on May 16-17 in Boston will be Dodge, 27; Kilmer, 31; Clark, 26; Madore, 31; and Jolene Snelling, 34, of Bethel. They’ll walk the length of a full marathon on the first day, camp overnight and then walk half a marathon distance on the second day for a total of 39.3 miles.
They are making the long-distance trek in memory of loved ones who have had, and some of who have died from, breast cancer and to help prevent more lives from being lost to the disease.
“Though I haven’t experienced the impact breast cancer can have on an individual or a family directly, I’m scared that some day that may change, and when it does, I want to know that I’ve done my part to help,” says Clark. “I’m determined to do everything I can to help put an end to it.”
Snelling has been touched more closely by the disease. “Breast cancer has affected my family and a number of my family’s close friends. Because of this, I have chosen to spend a weekend walking in honor and in memory of those affected by it.”
And Dodge knows the local impact the walk has.
She works directly with Gifford’s Breast Care Program. The program benefits from an annual grant from the Avon Foundation for breast cancer education and outreach. Dodge does some of that outreach and knows how affective the Avon grant has been in reaching local women with a message that mammograms after age 40 save lives.
“We all know someone who is affected by breast cancer,” she says. “Whether it’s a grandmother, mother, daughter, sister, aunt or father. We all know those who have fought the fight. Some have won, and others were not so fortunate.
“This is why I walk – for my family and friends, and for yours, for the ones we love, so hopefully they will be spared the battle with breast cancer.”
Before they can hit Boston pavement, however, they must raise a combined $9,000.
“It sounds like a daunting task, especially in today’s economy,” Madore says. “But cancer doesn’t care about the economy, and I know that together we can help make a difference.”
So far they’ve held a fund-raising supper and on May 1 are having a benefit event at Crossroads Bar and Grill in South Royalton from 7 p.m. until closing. The event will include entertainment by Dead Mans Hand and Entendre. The cover is a $10 donation to the walkers.
Anyone wanting to help the women can also call Dodge at Gifford at 728-2339 or at home at 685-4833, or you can log on to walk.avonfoundation.org to support the team. Their team name is “4 Country Girls 4 a Cure.” (That was before a fifth “country girl” joined the group.) The group will also walk in memory of donors’ loved ones. Call them to have your loved one’s name listed on their walk T-shirts.