by Terry Symula

You have surely seen them. They are out walking early and late in the day, whether it is raining, sleeting, or steaming hot. You may know them, but you may not know that there is a purpose to their strolls. These walkers are committed to making a difference in the lives of women who are living with breast cancer.

From May 15 to 17, six Harvard women—Marcia Croyle, Pam Durrant, Helen Hill, Karen Shea, Heidi Siegrest, and Ann Whitney—will be walking 60 miles in the seventh annual Just ’Cause 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. Each woman has her own reasons for participating, but they are all committed to making a difference for local women with breast cancer and to supporting those who are working to cure the disease.

Terry Symula (left) and Karen Shea on a previous Just ’Cause walk. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

According to four-year participant Marcia Croyle, the Just ’Cause walk was started in 2003 by four friends from Harvard and Bolton. After participating in the 60-mile Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk, they were inspired to create a community walk to benefit local breast cancer causes. According to Croyle, “They wanted to organize a walk where 100 percent of the proceeds went to breast cancer charities. In the six years of the Just ’Cause walk, we’ve raised nearly $750,000 for two organizations, the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden in Harvard and the Gillette Center for Women’s Cancers at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.”

The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden provides services for people going through breast cancer treatment. It offers educational programs, support groups, exercise, and integrative therapies (e.g., massage and acupuncture). All of the therapies are integrated with and complementary to standard medical treatment for breast cancer. The Gillette Center focuses on medical research and treatment of women’s cancers including breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.

Helen Hill is walking for the first time this year. She has been a client of the Healing Garden since August 2007. “I have to admit, that I was initially very skeptical that it had anything to offer me. You see I was (am) a scientist. I work at MIT. My first thoughts were reflexology? Meditation? Were these people serious? I said to myself, surgical, chemical, and radiological treatments were needed here, the rest was for the birds, or so I thought,” she said. “I did indeed have my share of those conventional therapies, but such strong medicine takes an insidious toll, both physically and mentally, and it’s in countering this that the Healing Garden excels. Now, I am thrilled to be able to walk and support the Healing Garden—the haven that helped repair my mind and permitted me a renewed lust for life.”

The Healing Garden is named for Ginny Thurston whose legendary garden is the core of the center. According to Heidi Siegrist, who is walking for her second time, “The Healing Garden has integrated the Liz Nichols Foundation, which is named for its founder. Both of these women were well loved in Harvard. They were so dedicated to this community and to making a difference for those facing breast cancers. The impact these two women continue to have is incredible and an inspiration to me.”

This year the Harvard walkers will be walking with 50 other people. And, believe it or not, according to Karen Shea, who has participated in past years, “We will have a chance to get to know them all during the 20 miles we will walk each day. Getting to know a new friend or to catch up with another while walking through the beauty of our community is wonderful.”

The first day the group will meander through Harvard, Boxborough, and Stow. On Saturday they will head for Concord, and on Sunday they walk back from Concord to Bolton, where friends and family will greet them for a celebration. All along the way they will be taken care of by many generous volunteers with snacks and moral support. The organizers even arrange for a “sweep van” just in case anyone needs assistance.

Donations to support the Harvard walkers in raising money for the Healing Garden and Gillette Center can be sent to: Just ’Cause, P.O. Box 132 Bolton, MA 01740 Attn: Debbie Kirkland. Include on the memo line—Healing Garden or Gillette Center and Harvard Walkers. To learn more about the walk visit www.justcausewalk.com.