We quickly are told what our responsibilities will be which include setting up the tables full of several hundred doughnuts, bagels, trays of fresh fruit and the icing of bottled water, all of which has been donated by local stores and bakeries. Upon opening the first bag of bagels from Chompies’s Deli we learn that they must be cut in half…. with knife in hand Stacie and I tackle the hundreds of bagels to be sawed in half. These bagel are so fresh that they fold when pressure is applied by the knifes. I do believe these were the freshest bagels I have ever encountered. Travis takes up manning the doughnut boxes and making sure they are replenished when emptied. Waters are iced, we set up the apples, bananas, oranges, Kind snack bars and put the juice bags on ice for the young walkers. We are ready… just in time as the walkers are coming.

The walkers are filtering in, some in groups walking for a friend or family member that is or was fighting this horrible illness. They are sporting tutu’s, T-shirts with their loved ones names, it is awesome to see so many caring for this cause. After their registration they are off visiting the booths and “carbing” up for the walk. At this point my day becomes quite a blur as Stacie and I can barely keep up on the cutting of bagels…. Bagel Frenzy

The walk begins and I am able to sneak away to grab some photos to share.




As the walkers continue I am able to speak to some of the survivors at the event. One young man, now 28, has been fighting this for 18 years, he is partially blind with a bit of hearing loss. He has taken up magic and is very entertaining, I find myself completely amused with his abilities.
I talk with another that had 3 years free of treatment, but has found it is back and again the fight begins.
Travis is one of my reasons for being at the event, he was diagnosed at age 10 with brain cancer. A type that they say the child is born with and it presents around the ages of 10 to 23 most often. It has been 3 years since he was first diagnosed, he tries to forget about it and my asking him to come and help today is a reminder that it is a life long fight. I am worried that this might be a bit much for him, and his quietness this morning reminds me of how frightened he must be.
Childhood cancer is a sad fact and it strikes hard and fast. So many times the symptoms are dismissed as they can present as a normal illness, or headache in our Travis’s case. When we are blessed to have beaten the illness, we are still left with the damaging effects of the very treatment that saves our loved ones life. The child is to face of life of uncertainty and questions of what will happen in the future.
I am not sure what the future holds for a cure for cancer but I know we need to focus on prevention also, as the treatments are just as scary as the cancer itself.
I want to say in the last 3 years I watched my Grandson overcome his brain cancer, lost a girlfriend to her brain cancer and lost our cousin to his brain cancer. Not to mention the several others in my circle currently fighting breast cancer. It is our responsibility to help in this fight and volunteer to the originations that have formed to help raise funds for research, such as the Brain Tumor Foundation.

We really can make a difference….. and they really do need our help.. I know we could have used some extra hands cutting those bagels…

Live life like someone left the gate open….it can close all to soon.

Sharon