11/8/07
Lewis walks marathon for cancer awareness
By Cathy Gilbert

Submitted Photo

Joy Lewis (bottom center) with her daughter (right) and her daughter’s roommate (left) stop at “the penguin rest stop” while walking in the Avon Mini Walk recently at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte.

“You want to keep off your feet for the next day or so. It’s not so bad with the slightly sore muscles and the blisters,” said Joy Lewis.

Lewis is a server at the Summerton Diner and also a recent marathon walker.

Over Oct. 20-21, Lewis, along with her daughters, walked in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Charlotte.

The first day started with a ceremony at Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium with speaker Candy Dullaghan.

Dullaghan, 60, is a two-time survivor of breast cancer.

“That is where I got my first bit of inspiration, seeing her on that stage,” said Lewis.

“I set out and I knew I was going to walk the whole thing,” she said.

During the event, walkers had the choice of completing a marathon (26 miles) or a marathon and a half (39 miles).

Lewis said her involvement came from her daughter’s roommate.

“I went to Charlotte to visit my daughter and her old college roommate, saw a sign for the walk and signed myself up. I had never heard of it before that,” she said.

Lewis said it was a great experience and that she came away with some new lessons learned and some very interesting and heartfelt stories.

“There was this man that had done 38 of 40 walks. His wife passed away and he made a promise to her that he would do the walk himself in her honor,” she said. “He carried her tennis shoes and her picture on his back. The man would put pennies on the track, I think one thousand in all, with pink ribbons for people to pick up.”

During the walk, those who participated were encouraged to put who they were walking for, pictures and other tokens of remembrance on their backs.

Lewis called the walk incredibly uplifting as she remembered her own family during the walk.

“I kept my mother-in-law in my heart as well as my aunt, who had a double mastectomy. My mother also died from lung cancer,” she said. “We may be walking to save our own lives.”

A woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes.

“The walk staff handed out sashes every three minutes to people to honor that three minute mark,” she said.

Lewis said she was also inspired by the outpouring of generosity.

“There were cars and vans painted with signs of encouragement for the walkers. People in the neighborhood handed out candy and drinks along the way. Even some fraternities and sororities helped out. I was really amazed to see fraternity guys giving up their day,” she said.

Lewis talked about one group in particular that helped out controlling the traffic.

“There was a group of ten Harley guys directing traffic. They blasted their music too. We got pretty close with them,” she said.

Lewis was shocked during her trek as people gladly handed out checks upwards of $400 to sponsor walkers.

Walkers have to raise $1,800 in order to participate.

“They wanted real commitment. My daughter’s roommate had not met her goal going into the walk but when people started handing out checks, every need was met. There were people, groups and churches who raised over and above the required amount and they also handed out money to those who had not met their goals,” she said.

Lewis said that she actually did not mind raising the amount needed since every personal requirement from food to drinks was provided by the staff of the walk.

She plans to walk again next year if she is given the opportunity.

“ It was a great experience and a fun time. A lot more people should do it,” she said.

The Avon Walk had more than 1,000 people taking part in the third year of the event, and to date has raised over $2.3 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer.

The money will go to fund four grants: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Duke University, Medical University of South Carolina and Charlotte’s Presbyterian Hospital.

To find out more about the Avon Walks for a Cure, log on to www.Avonwalks.com.