Walk Hard For A Good Cause

By Marcus Gilmer in Arts & Entertainment on May 28, 2008 3:20PM

Anxious to work off those Memorial Day grill-outs before Beach Season? We can't think of a more perfect opportunity than this weekend's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk will cover a marathon's worth of ground (26.2. miles) on Saturday and then cover an additional 13.1 miles on Sunday. The event begins at the crack of dawn Saturday morning with the Opening Ceremonies at Soldier Field. The route winds its way along the Lakefront and the North Side before spending the night at Warren Park, then working its way back to Soldier Field for the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday afternoon.

If you're interested in participating, it's still not too late to get in on the action. Online registration for walking participants closes tomorrow (Thursday, May 29). Registration costs $65 plus a commitment to raise $1,800 overall, so get those IOUs lined up. While all general volunteer positions are full, volunteers are still needed for the Event Eve activities on Friday, May 30, and for Opening and Closing Ceremonies. And, if your weekend is already booked, consider making a donation.

Annually, the United States sees about 180,000 women and 2,000 men diagnosed with breast cancer. Of those, an average of 40,500 women and 450 men will succumb to the illness. But, even more importantly, there are over 2 million survivors of breast cancer living, breathing, and walking right now. Events like the Avon Walk are fantastic ways to spread awareness, raise money for research, and help underprivileged cancer patients get the treatment they need. So bust out the Keds, 'cause there's walking to be done.