On November 8, 2008 the 3rd annual In Their Shoes 13.1 mile walk which benefits the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support will take place in Athens. As many of you may know, the Loran Smith Center offers free educational, emotional and spiritual support to all cancer patients and families in our community regardless of where they are treated.

Founders, Anne Hanson and Gaylene Ward battled breast cancer and gained valuable support from the programs and staff at the Loran Smith Center. They searched for a way to give back. In celebration of the completion of their treatment, they created the “In Their Shoes” 13.1-mile Breast Cancer Walk in 2006 to honor others who had battled breast cancer.

Where does the Athens Area Cancer Auxiliary come in? We’d like to form our own team this year! What an amazing way to give back to our own community!

Are you interested? We hope so! Teams raise a total of $4,500 (for a 5-person team) or $9,000 (for a 10-person team), and on up! As a participant of last year’s walk, I sent emails and letters out to family and friends, and had no problem raising $1,000—it was much easier than I expected (plus we still have 4-months)!

And as far as the 13.1 mile walk goes, you’ll be able to accomplish that too with a little training! The In Their Shoes committee will sponsor walks leading up to the big event, plus as a team we can meet up for walks on our own (and indulge in a fun event afterwards too:).

I hope you will consider joining AACA’s first In Their Shoes team! To date the AACA Team includes:

• Christina Allen
• Tricia Brock
• Whitney Byce
• Amy Chisolm
• Shannon Dupree
• Leigh Garrett
• Laura Hixon
• Becky Holt
• Kelly Jones
• Carla Pennell
• Raegan Yeomans
• Natalie Glenn
• Kathryn Rodrigue

To meet the team meet their $11,000 fundraising goal, we could use your help—please consider making a donation to the Athens Area Cancer Auxillary team. To donate, click on this link, print off the donation form and send it on in!

Also helping with the team and day of logistics are members Stacy Tarver and Cynthia Logan.

Anyone else want to join? It’s not too late! Just send an email to Becky or Stacy.

Show your support for the AACA Team!

Have you been touched by a loved one, friend, or co-worker that has battled cancer? If so, let the AACA In Their Shoes team walk to remember and honor them. A theme of the walk is “Who will you walk for?” – so we want to show all, who we are walking for!

For $25.00, their name will be listed on the back of the AACA Team t-shirt for all to see. The t-shirt design will have the In Their Shoes logo and date on the front, then on the back it will state “AACA Team Walks to Remember and Honor” – with all of the names we receive listed underneath.

If you are interested in placing a name on the t-shirt, complete a form – available at our September 18 general meeting or from Becky Holt and Stacy Tarver by September 26th, along with a check made out to: Athens Regional Foundation. In the check memo line, please write “For AACA Team”.