Sunday, October 08, 2006

Rain, rain go away

I mowed the grass last week [Monday, I think] for what I'd hoped was the last time this season. It's been rain-rain-raining practically ever since, and the coming week will bring sun and warm temperatures again. Which sounds like the perfect set-up for more grass-growing nonsense. Harumph.

It was pouring rain when I left the house yesterday for the Walk for Her Lifetime event. I went early to help set things up, and no one was fretting about the weather. Oh, sure, people would say things like, "Here we go again!" or "Another cold day for the walk!" But everyone was smiling and busy and they all just seemed to know that a crowd would show up and money would be raised and women would leave knowing that this part of the Middle of Nowhere cared about them and had resources to help them.

Ya gotta love that.

Last year was the first I even knew about the walk, and I went not knowing who organized it or what it was all about. I thought it would be a Walk. This year I was forearmed, able to help spread tablecloths at the park shelter, sell raffle tickets, tote boxes of bottled water – in other words, be involved.

We raised more than $13,000 this year, money that will provide mammograms, transportation, meals and other services for many women who will, unfortunately, need them.

Speeches were made, door prizes awarded, raffle winners announced and songs were sung. A short memorial honored four women who'd lost their battle this year, and then a dozen survivors wearing pink banners led the very large crowd of walkers through a quiet neighborhood near the city park. [My new shoes felt great.]

And it didn't rain a drop while we were walking.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suspect that it was more than your new shoes that felt great. Sounds as if your heart was pretty full and the warm fuzzy part of you felt great also.
NancyP

mehitabel said...

Two of my daughters and I did the City of Hope Walk for Hope on Sun. It was a bright warm sunny day here (sigh) and it took us just about an hour and 15 min. to do the 5K. It does feel good to get out and walk, for a good cause, and incidentally raise a little money.