By LAURIE COKER
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
On Sunday, October 15, South Padre Island Walk for Women hosted its annual walk to honor survivors, remember those lost to cancer, and raise money for area residents battling breast cancer.
Donning various shades of pink, participants banned together in solidarity in a nearly three-mile walk from the SPI Convention Center to Louie’s Backyard. A river of pink flowed down Padre Blvd., led by survivors carrying the Walk for Women banner and showing support.
This year marks the 20th march for SPI Walk for Women. In 2003, the first recipient, waging her own battle with the disease, decided to help others and organized a walk and an auction that year. According to event coordinator Rees Langston, this determined woman wanted others to have a fighting chance. Since its inception, Langston has helped coordinate the event; it has grown and helped many local women.
Candidates find the application online to request assistance, and Langston said, “The completed form comes to me via email. I write back requesting further information – a record of diagnosis, treatment plan, TX driver’s license, an estimate of monthly living expenses, and a letter telling us who they are and what help they need: for example, past due bills they are having trouble paying.” These letters offer information regarding family life, the number of children and additional essential information.
After Langston reviews applications, she makes a monetary recommendation to a subgroup on the committee. This group can accept the recommendation and suggest a different monetary amount. Then, Langston says, “We meet in person for the first check because I need to be sure they are who they say they are since we only support breast cancer patients. It’s in our mission statement, and our 501(c)3 charitable status hangs on that.”
Langston added, “We’ve had people request help who were in danger of losing their house. Many of them can’t continue to work through treatment. And, of course, COVID was a nightmare.” Once accepted, recipients also receive swag bags containing a blanket, a crochet cap, a t-shirt and pink ribbon key chains, which provide items for use in cold chemo rooms.
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