October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month but that did not stop over 160 Wawarsing residents from coming out last week to raise funds for cancer research during the Ellenville High School's second annual Cancer Walk For a Cure. The event, organized by 60 volunteers including members of the school's Student Council and school staff members raised $5,000.

The day's events started early Sunday, November 12 as volunteers arrived to prepare registration tables for participants who would be arriving to run or walk the 2.5 mile course that went through the heart of downtown Ellenville and wound its way up into the Green Acres neighborhood. The Ellenville Police Department supplied traffic control for the walkers and runners.

Prior to the walk, tables were set up in the high school gymnasium where children and adults could partake in face painting and basketball. Representatives from Benedictine Hospital were also on hand to provide information to anyone interested in getting information about cancer.

Just before the walk started, all of the day's participants gathered into the gymnasium to hear brief remarks from Student Council President Glenda Nunez and event organizer Erica Green. Ms. Green became emotional when she spoke about dedicating the day's efforts to Ms. Lee Housman. Ms. Green said, "If you don't know Lee Housman, you should because she is amazing."

Ms. Housman, a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley and longtime resident of Napanoch, NY was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993. In addition to her illness, Ms. Housman also suffered injuries from a car accident. She currently lives with her mother and daughter, Jennifer and is currently undergoing treatment at Benedictine Hospital.

After she spoke, Ms. Green gave Ms. Housman some flowers, a kiss and a hug as the crowd cheered Ms. Housman for her strength in surviving the ravages of her illness.

Ms. Housman said that the creation of a cancer fundraiser was a long time coming. "I was trying to get them [the community] to do something like this for years. And it finally happened. I think it's wonderful. I feel blessed."

All of the participants who walked or gave donations received shirts featuring the fundraiser's tagline "Think Pink".

Participants also received some refreshments and fuel from Run Like The Wind organizer, Rob Baxter, who, along with his family, set up a food and drink station halfway along the route. Mr. Baxter and his family not only manned the station but provided the cookies, bananas and water for walkers as they made their back to the school grounds.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2006 and that 565,000 people will die this year. Some 31% of all women (or 212,920 women nationwide) diagnosed with cancer this year will be diagnosed with breast cancer. 15% of the estimated deaths for women with cancer (40,970 women nationwide) will also come from breast cancer.

Considering some of these numbers, 1 out of every 214 Americans (or 65 Wawarsing residents) will be diagnosed with some form of cancer and 1 out of 531 (or 26 Wawarsing residents) will die of some form of cancer. A 2002 estimate of the number of patients then currently diagnosed with some form of cancer was 10.1 million people.

For more information about cancer visit the American Cancer Society's website at www.cancer.org.

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