88°
YORKTOWN, N.Y.--Four friends walked in sync at FDR State Park Sunday morningthree of the four of them are sisters, and all have been touched in some way by cancer.
Darlene Morey of Cortlandt, and Sue Laware. JoAnn Treptow and Peggy McGuirk, all from Peekskill, have all felt the effects, either themselves or through relatives, of breast and ovarian cancer, and they were just four of the thousands of people who took part in Support Connections annual Support-A-Walk Sunday.
Its important for people who are going through this themselves to see people like us who are survivors, to know that we can all survive this, Treptow said. The quad was decorated in different hats and buttons, but most importantly, Treptow wore a sash showing she was a survivor to signal to all others surviving these diseases was possible.
A few footsteps ahead walked Carole Smith, who celebrated 25 years of being cancer free the day of the walk.
I usually volunteer to help out at the walk, but I said nope, today is my day to celebrate, said Smith, who was accompanied by friends who walked in step with her, and family who were a bit ahead. "The name of the walk, Support-A-Walk really says it all. Today is about support and celebration. It's optimistic.
Arlene Swankie got her friends involved in Support-A-Walk years ago in memory of a relative, and since then have constantly found more reasons to join. She walked alongside her friend Mary Jane Decker, who is a breast cancer survivor, who referred to Swankie as an angel and a best friend. Next to Decker was her husband Walt, who donned a green sheet of paper on his back with the name of his wife written out, to celebrate her surviving cancer like so many other participants did Sunday.
Since we started its kind of sprouted out and is now almost like a pyramid, said Decker, a four-and-a-half year cancer survivor. I started because of Arlene, but now I walk for myself too.
Along the walk the Lakeland school band played to encourage the walkers, and up ahead young dancers from Penny Lane Dance Academy danced and cheered on the different participants.
Doris Kiernan traveled down from Rockland County, and wore a teal t-shirt in memory of her sister Kim, who died from ovarian cancer in January 2005.
It was something she [Kim] started, and since she passed we decided to keep it up, said Kiernan, a member of the team Kims Crew.
Once the participants finished the walk to the cheering of volunteers, they were invited to tents full of food, raffles and merchandise, which is where the large group called Tinas Team assembled after the walk.
This walk is amazing. Its great that something so wonderful comes out of something thats such a horrible disease, said Anne Marie Rodier, who walked in honor of her mother Tina. Today means a lot, because we all come together to support others, and in memory of my mom.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
