HUD Employees in South Carolina Walk for Life

The Columbia, South Carolina, HUD Office partnered with IRS to participate in the 12th annual Stepping for a Cure in the 2002 First Ladies' Walk for Life...Steps Against Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 5, 2002. More than 8,000 walkers gathered in downtown Columbia's Finlay Park on an unusually hot October morning for warm-up exercises before they began the three-mile walk to support the fight against breast cancer. The walk honors survivors and those who have died of breast cancer, raises money for awareness, and stresses the importance of regular mammograms for early detection of a disease that is expected to affect more than 3,000 women in South Carolina.

Over 600 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients benefited directly from the more than $199,000 donated last year for the Walk for Life. Patients receive invaluable resource material upon diagnosis and a "breast bear" for comfort and support. Additionally, each year thousands of pieces of educational material are distributed. Forty percent of the funds are designated to research. Walk for Life has been an essential element in raising awareness in the Carolina Midlands as well as in improving the standard of care for breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and research in South Carolina. Groundbreaking research and cutting edge diagnosis and treatment are now available.

The teams "HUD Employees and Friends," and IRS's "High Steppers for a Cure," had approximately 100 members and raised over $3,800.00. The cost of registration and a Walk for Life T-shirt was $20.00, and some employees showed their support by making a monetary donation.

Both HUD and IRS have participated as a team since 1997. This year, Belle Thomas was captain of the HUD team, and Gail Dixon and Gladys Jules were captain and co-captain of the IRS team. HUD and IRS employees look forward to an even larger combined team effort next year.