Mile-long walk to raise breast cancer awareness

Barbara Joseph's inspiration for the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk came from her good friend Melody Martin, a breast cancer survivor who founded the walk. \n"This is her passion," Joseph said of her friend. \nThe event is not focused on raising money; instead, the main goal of the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday is to raise awareness about breast cancer. The first 1,000 walkers will receive a free T-shirt. Participants can walk without paying a fee or giving a donation, though donations will be accepted. Sponsors, such as Bloomington Hospital Regional Cancer Institute and Southern Indiana Radiological Associates will donate $200 for each walker and have already donated enough money to cover all of the walk's expenses.\nParticipants can still register to walk Saturday. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. outside City Hall, 401 N. Morton St., in downtown Bloomington. A brief program will follow addressing the importance of breast cancer awareness and self-examinations. All breast cancer survivors will be acknowledged and receive a small gift.\nJanet Hitzeman, a member of the breast cancer awareness committee and nurse practitioner for IU's athletic department, estimated 50 to 70 breast cancer survivors will attend Saturday. The walk will be about one mile long and will begin at City Hall, proceed to the Sample Gates at Kirkwood and Indiana avenues and then travel back to City Hall again.\nThis will be the eighth year for the annual event. Barbara Joseph has been on the committee for the past seven years and said she hopes that more students will participate this year. The event usually takes place at the beginning of September, but Joseph said she hopes holding the event later in the fall will allow more students to be informed of the event. \n"Everyone participates ... old people, young people, people with pets, children," Joseph said.\nUp to 1,000 people are expected to walk Saturday, a large number compared to the 250 people who participated in the first walk eight years ago. Most participants are women, though Hitzeman added that men can have breast cancer, too, and can participate in the walk. \nHitzeman's mother had breast cancer and said because she is in the health profession, she sees people who are affected by it every day. Most committee members have been closely associated with someone who has had breast cancer or are breast cancer survivors themselves.\n"It's important for women to be proactive," Hitzeman said. \nShe said when IU athletic trainer and swimmer Stephanie Jansen died from breast cancer two years ago, it sparked the interest of student-athletes to participate in the breast cancer awareness walk. Hitzeman also said that the event usually has good participation from sororities. \nHitzeman said that the most important reason for raising breast cancer awareness is so that "women are aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and that they have an active partnership with their doctors regarding their health." \nFor more information about the walk or to register online, visit http://www.siraonline.com/walk.html.