Avon Walk - Day One

As many of you know, Tracy and Amanda (Team McClarmick) are walking in the 2008 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk covers two days and totals 39 miles (26 miles the first day and 13 the second). They are camping out in a park in Bethesda tonight and will complete the walk tomorrow. I drove up to Bethesda to help out with the setup. All they really needed me to do was set up their tent, a task I was able to complete before they got there. I was there when Tracy pulled her shoes off and they had seen better days. A blister or three here and there. She will visit the medics in the morning and they should be able to fix her up. Congratulations to the both of them on making it through the first day.

There was an interesting coincidence while I was there. Tracy and Amanda were in the tent rubbing their worn feet and chowing down on the sodas and chicken wings that I was under death threats to provide. I was outside making sure the rain cover was properly tied down when a woman behind me asked about tent stakes. I have used extra stakes to anchor the rain guard on the sides and hers was flapping in the wind. I explained where I had found the cache of stakes by the trucks and offered to go get a couple for her. I am great guy and all, but my real motivation was the NCSU baseball hat she was wearing. I went to get the stakes and after she thanked me, I explained that I was an alumnus and her hat was the real reason. She then explained to me that her son is a high school senior and had narrowed his choice of school down to NC State and Alabama. I laughed and Amanda whooped it up in the tent. A little background. I am an obnoxiously proud member of the Wolfpack nation and the McCormicks are native Alabamians and are happy to explain to anyone who will listen what the hell "Roll Tide" means. Pretty cool, but in the end the young man had decided on the University of Alabama. I will note that a scholarship offer from Alabama swung the decision in their favor. Regardless, the coincidence was more than a little strange.

Once everything checked out, I left them in line at the portable showers and headed back to VA. One final note: On the way to the shower stalls, Tracy and Amanda ran into a mutual friend, Juliana. She was wearing a wide neck ribbon that read "Every Three Minutes". When I inquired into the meaning of the phrase, I was told that someone is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. A little somber statistic to mull over, but it really drove the point home. This problem needs to be reigned in and that's why they are there.