Two local women are
training to walk 60 miles
in three days later this
month.
"I never thought I'd
be walking this kind of
distance voluntarily," said
Alicia Brown.
"I always
thought it'd have to be a
life or death situation, or
my car left me stranded
somewhere. I can't believe
I'm doing it on my own."
Ms. Brown and her friend,
Regina Gridley, have joined
a team of women from
Atlanta and Statesboro to
participate in the Susan G.
Komen 3-Day for the Cure
walk in Atlanta. Presented
by Energizer, the annual
event raises awareness and
funds for breast cancer
research and communitybased
breast health and
education programs.
"I just thought it was
a neat thing to do," Ms.
Brown said.
"I've had
friends that have done it in
the past, and I thought it'd
be a good way to make new
friends, also."
Opening Ceremonies
for the Atlanta event
starts at 7 a.m., Friday
Oct. 22 and ends with the
Closing Ceremony at 5:
30 on Sunday afternoon
at Turner Field. Walkers
cover about 20 miles a day,
traveling at their own pace.
Hundreds of volunteer
crew members support the
walkers through the threeday
journey, providing
meals, refreshments, gear
transport, hot showers,
portable restrooms, safety
on the streets and 24-hour
medical services, according
to literature provided by
Energizer.
Ms. Brown and Mrs.
Gridley participated in
a training walk at Stone
Mountain last weekend.
Mrs. Gridley, who has
been training since March,
said it was the first time
their team has walked all
together.
"So, it was really neat to
meet everybody and put
everybody together," she
said.
Ms. Brown joined the
group only last month,
so she hasn't had the
opportunity to train as
much.
"We did 18 miles on
Saturday and 15 on Sunday.
And, that just about kicked
my butt," she said.
"But I
survived it. So, I guess I'm
going to be okay. And I've
only had one blister so far."
Because she started out
seven months ago walking
two miles twice a week,
Mrs. Gridley said she
wasn't worried about the
training part. However, she
is starting to get nervous
about the fact that they will
be sleeping in tents during
the event. All participants
are paired in small, twoperson
pink tents, which
will be set up on a field,
creating a pink sea.
"I guess you're so
exhausted after walking
that you won't notice you're
in a tent," Mrs. Gridley
said.
"We all have little
pink earplugs they say we
need to wear, because you
hear everybody unzipping
their tents in the middle
of the night to go to the
bathroom. I don't think
I'm looking forward to that
part of it."
Each participant must
raise a minimum of $2,300
to participate. Mrs. Gridley
has already raised all of her
money. Because Ms. Brown
was late joining the group,
she is working as hard at
fundraising as she has been
at training. She created pink
koozies with her team's name
"Walkers for Knockers" on it
that are being sold at Hogie
Joe's Sports Bar and Grill.
"They've been selling really
well. Everybody wants them,"
said Hogie Joe's co-owner,
Amy Kiel, adding that the
koozies cost $4. "Alicia has
to bring us more in every few
days because we sell out."
Hogie Joe's also is having a
fundraiser for Ms. Brown all
day on Friday, Oct. 15. The
Walkers for Knockers team
members will act as servers
that day, and a percentage
of the sales will go to Ms.
Brown's "Walk" fund.
For more information, or
to make a donation, go to
www.the3day.org. and look
up Ms. Brown's name. She
also is on Facebook, or
donations can be made at
Hogie Joe's.
"I just want everybody to
join the fight," Ms. Brown
said. "Whether they give to
me or just give in general.
Just help this process of
finding a cure."
