I want to talk a bit about our Sunday walk this week. Once a year, the Canadian Cancer Society holds their "Run for the Cure" event. In a number of locations in Canada, they have a 5 km run/walk to raise money for breast cancer research. Having a wife and 2 daughters, I see this as somewhat important. Not to mention an intrinsic interest of my own.
Anyway, here we go on Sunday morning with our run tee-shirts and about 11,000 fellow walkers and runners. The weather was a bit brisk but fine for a bit of exercise. Our 2 dogs are more than a little overwhelmed at the number of people. If you've ever done any race of this sort, you know the starting bell is only kind of an indication anyway. Unless you're right at the front (and if you are, you better run cause that's where the serious folk go), you shuffle for 4 or 5 minutes until the pack thins out. All sorts of people - old and young, fat and fit, men and women. Kind of a good thing to see.
Here and there you see women wearing pink tee-shirts. Now that's kind of special because these women are breast cancer survivors. Solid reminder right in front of you why you got up so early. Well ok, 8 am isn't especially early but it is Sunday. About the half-way mark, we are being cheered on by runners who have already finished. We weren't running ourselves (dogs, remember) but I'd say we were in about the first third or so of the pack. These folks were done already. Humph.
As we close in on the finish, there's an older lady (60ish I'd guess) hobbling along with a couple of family members. My guess is she was about the last of the crowd. Right behind here, moving very slowly was an ambulance. The walk must have been hard for her but there she was truckin' along.
No real point here. It's just nice to see people out for a good cause. Heart warming and all that.