Danville women sign up for breast cancer walk

By Denice Thibodeau

Published: August 16, 2008

Ann Wilkinson is a bubbly, outgoing woman who talks a hundred miles an hour and can laugh at herself for it.

She is also passionate about helping find a cure for breast cancer.

When friends told her they were considering signing up for the breast cancer three-day walk benefiting the Susan B. Komen for the Cure, she encouraged them to go for it, even if walking 20 miles a day for three days in a row sounded daunting.

“I told my cousin, ‘Even I could do that!’ The next thing I knew, I was signed up too,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson, of Danville, said they were walking in honor of her aunt, Wanda Widener, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and has survived the disease and its treatment.

Now the team has grown to five: Laurie Anne Wilson, of Greenville, N.C., and Marie McCraw, of Danville, are Widener’s daughters. The other two members of the team are Melissa Cook and Allison Watson, both of Greenville, N.C.

They have each committed to raising $2,200 each to take to the three-day walk, which will be held in Atlanta on Oct. 24-26. That means the team needs to come up with a total of at least $11,500.

“We’ve raised $2,500 so far, and we have several fundraisers planned,” Wilkerson said.

When Wilkinson commits to something, she doesn’t let it rest. She is seriously training for this walk, and has lost 50 pounds since January and quit smoking as part of her effort.

She is a full-time registered nurse, working in Duke University’s trauma unit, but she has taken at part-time job at Curves fitness center so she’ll get plenty of workouts. She also walks every day, often as much as eight miles.

“A cure for breast cancer must be found,” she said, adding that several women in her family have had the disease. “I don’t want my daughter or granddaughter to have to face it.”

Wilkinson is a planner, and has arranged for the group to hold several fundraisers for their cause.

“Ham’s is letting us set up an elliptical next to the band (on Aug.23), and they’ll donate $1 of every beer sold that night for our walk,” Wilkinson said. “So many people in Danville have been so generous. We’ll be doing at least one more night at Ham’s and another in September at Buffalo Wild Wings.”

She has also been successful at getting local businesses to donate items they will need, such as banners with their team name — Saving Second Base — on them.

“Gary Signs on Franklin Turnpike donated those,” Wilkinson said, adding that the owner told her a family member had battled breast cancer and he was happy to help.

The team — who will live in a pink tent city curing the walk — also needs items to use while living in the tent. Wilkinson is busy thinking of ways to win the “best decorated tent” contest — with the restriction that everything they take with them has to be rolled up in their sleeping bags and stored every day when they leave for their walk.

“We can do it!” Wilkinson said, unfazed by something as simple as decorating on top of raising thousands of dollars so she and the team can walk their legs off for three days.

“I have such pride in my home town and all those that have encouraged and supported me!” Wilkinson said. “I will walk until we have a cure.”

To find out more about the walk, visit http://www.The3Day.org. Once there, donations can be to Wilkinson’s team by searching the site for her name. Wilkinson can also be emailed for information at .

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.