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Avon 3-Day Walk
Breast Cancer Fundraiser

2400 walkers ..... walking 20 miles a day .....  for 3 days (60 miles total)
Lake Lanier Islands to Duluth to Stone Mtn to Piedmont Park
I was on the crew.  I think I'll walk next year.  It would be less work than crewing.

October 1,2,3 1999

What a experience.
They warned us that it would test us.
I certainly found my physical and emotional limits.
Also, I don't think I'll be camping again anytime soon......

Thursday 8 am. Crew registration and training.

The ordeal begins

Friday 8 am.  Walkers start their journey.

walkers starting out on the first day.

 

The Food Service Crew

We served breakfast and dinner
8 hours a day
to over 2400 people
for 3 days.

The food service crew

Me serving

 

In between serving meals, we helped set up tents.

Setting up tents

Tent city sure was a sight to behold.

The tents were 8'x8', 13 rows (letters A thru M),
100 tents per row.  A football field of 1300 tents.

Tent city - a sight to behold

We also helped set up thousands of chairs and  load and unload gear.
We were limited to one 30-lb bag which included sleeping bag, pad and all our stuff for 4 days
2500 bags of gear

 

Nice hot showers.

showers

 

Very aromatic potties.

But also very dark at 3 in the morning
when we had to get up, pack up,
and start serving oatmeal at 4 am.

potties

 

Free services for the walkers.

comfort services

My 4 Day experience on the Food Service crew:

Day zero: Up at 5am. Get to Lake Lanier Islands by 8 am for crew registration, safety video, and training. Get to hotel in Gainesville by 9 pm. Asleep by 10 pm.

Day 1: Up at 3 am to catch the shuttle at 4 am.  Walkers start first day at 7:30 am.  Crew takes buses to Duluth where we help set up camp.  We set up about 200 tents for the walkers. Serve Chicken Fahitas from 4 to 9 pm. Shower, asleep by 10 pm.

Day 2: 1:30 am - stumble to pottie with flashlite. Very very cold, wet night.  Up at 3 am. Pack up a sopping wet tent and gear.  Carry gear 75 yards to truck.  Serve oatmeal etc from 4 to 9 am.   Bus to Wade-Walker Park by Stone Mountain where we help set up camp.  Serve spaghetti from 4 to 9pm. Stop drinking water at 6 so I don't hafta do the pottie-trek that night. Shower, asleep by 10-ish pm.

Day 3: Up at 3 am. Pack tent, gear, drag it to gear truck which seems like it's in another state. Serve French Toast from 4 to 8 am. Clean every inch of camp making sure no tent spikes are left in the soccer fields. Bus to Piedmont Park.  Closing ceremonies at 5 pm.  Shuttle to Lake Lanier to get my car, and home by 9:30 pm. Shower, pee in a real toilet that flushes, and sleep in a real bed.

What a experience. It took me a week to recover......But this can't come close to what survivors go thru with chemo treatments.
I will forever be affected by the survivor stories that I heard.

Proceeds go to Avon's Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade in partnership with the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO).   Special emphasis is given to helping low income, minority, and older women obtain early detection services at little or no cost. See www.avoncrusade.com/thewalk for more information.

To Diane: You WILL make it though this and you WILL wear a survivors shirt.

 

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