Past Shoreline Relay for Life walker Susan Greenvall is trying to ignite inspiration and a little competition among her neighbors for , set to kick off May 19 at .
Stating that she felt hardly anyone knew about the upcoming relay, Greenvall said she decided to rally her neighbors to walk with her to raise funds during this all-night walk-a-thon to benefit the American Cancer Society. She then decided to extend the challenge to all Branford neighborhoods, stating that she hopes other areas of town will assemble teams to raise money through the relay.
“I hope people know about it, get excited about it and want to do it,” she said.
Greenvall and her team of more than 10, will walk as “Creekers for a Cure” and have pledged to raise $2,000 before the May walk – currently they have raised $335.
Greenvall has participated in past Shoreline Relay for Life events and served as captain of her team of walkers when the event was held at . Greenvall has been a special education teacher at DHHS for 10 years.
Shoreline Relay, the local event for this national fundraiser, challenges teams to walk 24 hours straight around a track. Walkers raise money by receiving pledges. To support the “Creekers for a Cure,” head over to their fundraising page.
Having done the all-night walk, which will start this year at 1 p.m. on May 19 with a survivors lap at WIS, Greenvall said the long endurance event can be tough but is worth it. Most of her teammates in the past have stuck together to do the 24-hour relay as a group. “It’s a beautiful thing that we can all get together for a positive thing,” she said.
Returning to the event as Greenvall’s teammate is Stony Creeker Deb Roberts who recently lost her husband Stephen Roberts to cancer. Greenvall said Deb and her family of four boys participated in the walk when Stephen was still alive. This year Deb will be walking in her late husband’s honor with the support of her friends.
“Now she can turn around and do something positive to raise awareness and money,” said Greenvall of her courageous friend. Deb and her boys were also last year’s recipients of the .
Greenvall and the “Creekers for a Cure” will be practicing for the upcoming walk and hope that other groups in Branford’s neighborhoods will rise to the challenge. If you register a team for the walk, be sure to post an announcement to Patch to raise awareness and let us know by e-mailing nicole.ball@patch.com. The Creekers for a Cure have also planned some other upcoming fundraising ideas including "Creekers Caroling for a Cure," May 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. and a possible Stony Creek plunge off the town dock. Stay tuned for updates on those events.
