Hundreds ‘make strides’ against cancer in Damariscotta
Mimi Reeves of Damariscotta wears a sign in honor of her niece battling cancer in Arizona. Reeves was among hundreds of participants in a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Damariscotta on Oct. 19. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dressed in layers for a cool fall day, Susan Isabel, left, of Nobleboro, and Susan Sprague of Wiscasset, co-workers at Reny’s Newcastle office, wait near The First in Damariscotta on Oct. 19, for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Shawn St. Cyr of Jefferson wears an assortment of mostly pink clothes in Damariscotta on Oct. 19, for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Ashlyn Cross, 4, of Thomaston waves a pompom Oct. 19 at the Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk that started and ended at The First in Damariscotta. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Mimi Reeves of Damariscotta wears a sign in honor of her niece battling cancer in Arizona. Reeves was among hundreds of participants in a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Damariscotta on Oct. 19. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dressed in layers for a cool fall day, Susan Isabel, left, of Nobleboro, and Susan Sprague of Wiscasset, co-workers at Reny’s Newcastle office, wait near The First in Damariscotta on Oct. 19, for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Shawn St. Cyr of Jefferson wears an assortment of mostly pink clothes in Damariscotta on Oct. 19, for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Ashlyn Cross, 4, of Thomaston waves a pompom Oct. 19 at the Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk that started and ended at The First in Damariscotta. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Three hundred and fifty people walked Damariscotta’s streets Sunday in a sea of largely pink outerwear, pompoms and, in the case of Lincoln Academy industrial arts teacher Shawn St. Cyr, shorts and mis-matched gym socks. Together, families, co-workers and those who came on their own raised $50,000 in the fight against breast cancer.
Those were the numbers out of the Damariscotta portion of this month’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks in Maine, said the American Cancer Society’s senior manager of community events for northern New England, Kathy Metz.
St. Cyr’s mother-in-law, 11-year breast cancer survivor Linda Lewandowski of Jefferson, joined him, her daughter Jen, and their children on the Oct. 19, afternoon walk in the sunshine and brisk winds.
Damariscotta police paused traffic for the walk after meteorologist Mallory Brooke from television station WMTW led opening ceremonies. Lewandowski and other breast cancer survivors got flowers.
Her son-in-law tried out his walk outfit in advance, in a Tough Mudder competition the prior weekend in Englishtown, New Jersey. It did not go unnoticed by the competition.
“They’d see the pink and (say) ‘Way to support breast cancer awareness,’” he said.
Rockland’s Anne Haggar walked Sunday in honor of her sister, Patricia Haggar, who lives in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area and is a 7-year breast cancer survivor.
“She’s very pleased that I’m doing this for her,” Anne Haggar said. She said was also walking for all women who have had breast cancer. “I’m hoping that a lot of people will participate, and not forget the women who have endured this illness.”
While the focus of Sunday’s event was fighting breast cancer, participants also included survivors and loved ones of survivors of other forms of cancer, and those still battling it.
Damariscotta’s Mimi Reeves wore a sign she decorated with battery-operated flashing lights and the words “For Caroline.”
Reeves’ niece, Caroline Stewart, 48, of Tucson, Arizona, has colon cancer that has metastasized to her liver.
Waiting near Reeves for the start of the walk was fellow Damariscotta resident Rick Hagen, 60. He lost most of his tongue to cancer about five years ago; doctors rebuilt it with muscle from his wrist.
He was walking in support of all cancer survivors and to help find a cure for all cancers.
“The more people who support and contribute, the quicker we’re going to get there,” Hagen said.
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