By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
Statistics show that every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer.
That totals 20 new documented cases per hour, and 480 new cases per day.
Two Russellville women have committed to walking 60 miles and raising more than $2000 to fund breast cancer research so that those numbers can go down, and offer hope to those already diagnosed with the disease.
Becky Burnette and Beverly Akins are busy training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day for the Komen for a Cure, formerly known as the Susan G. Komen foundation.
"Each participant commits to raising $2200 to go toward research for breast cancer," Burnette said. "We [Burnette and Akins] are both at the $1,000 mark on our fundraising."
Burnette said that she and Akins enjoy walking as a form of exercise and heard about the 3-day walk, which consists of each participant walking 20 miles per day for three days, and decided to get involved.
"We want to go the distance and walk all 60 miles," Burnette said.
The pair has been busy training for the walk by staying on a rigorous schedule of walking up to 10 miles per day, beginning at 5 a.m.
"We train six days a week on different types of terrain to be ready for the walk in October," Burnette said.
Burnette and Akins are part of a team from Florence named Sweet Home Alabama, which has 23 members.
During the walk, participants are given ample time for rest and each participant can pace themselves to their own comfort levels.
"All participants must be finished before dark each day, and they have transportation back to camp in case someone cannot make it through the course," Burnette said.
Burnette and Akins plan to walk early in the day so that they can save the afternoons to rest back at camp.
Burnette and Akins will be hosting fundraising events to raise the $2200 they have committed to before the event.
The next fundraising event will be waiters event at Goodsprings on Tuesday, July 17. All the tips received by the special wait staff will go toward the cancer walk.
For more information about the Komen 3-Day walk, log onto www.the3day.org.