The Walk! 2011

This past Saturday (August 20) I once again participated in the Portland Brain Tumor Walk. I've been doing it since I was diagnosed. Even though technically the walk is for brain tumor research, I like to think that this is my way of making a contribution on behalf of all kinds of cancer. Although I have lost many brain buddies, this year I dedicated my walk to my friend Paula, who is battling cancer of her bile ducts.

I have a team I call Eden's Army, thus the visor. The team usually includes my mom, sister and husband. Last year, I had a few former classmates join me. This year I was gifted by the presence of two very cool people, Travis and Heather Smith.

My sister wasn't able to join us, because she was helping my nephew prepare for a performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and my mom was feeling a little sick to her stomach, so the "army" was me, T and H and my husband.

There was a huge crowd this year, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised. However, I don't do well in crowds. I'm always thinking I'm going to bump into someone. And the walk happened to fall on the hottest day of the year. My sister says, that because of the crowd issue, she will sit future walks out, though she will still support the cause.

I plan to do it as long as I can.