ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 30, 1996 TAG: 9609300087
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON STAFF WRITER
"WALK FOR THE CURE" more than tripled what was raised last year - to the tune of $1 million. More than 2,000 walkers completed the 10-kilometer loop through Roanoke.
The organizers of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's "Walk for the Cure" thought they did pretty well when they raised $287,000 in the Roanoke Valley last year.
But they were able to beat that this year. And then some. And then some.
This year's event raised more than $1 million on Sunday for diabetes research - more than tripling what the event pulled in last year.
Nearly 2,000 walkers completed the 10-kilometer loop that began and ended in downtown Roanoke.
"It's almost overwhelming how it's growing," said one of the walkers, LeeAnn Brown of Roanoke County. "We thought it was really great to get $300,000 last year. But to get over $1 million is just phenomenal."
Beth Stanley, the walk-a-thon's coordinator, believes it was the largest event of its kind ever in the Roanoke Valley.
The event, which raised $30,000 its first time around in 1994, topped $1 million this year thanks in large part to the help of Advance Auto Parts.
The company's employees raised almost $540,000 in a two-month fund-raiser leading up to Sunday's walk-a-thon - a figure that may go higher as they count money from the various bake sales and other activities sponsored by the company.
Walk organizers also reached out beyond the Roanoke Valley, bringing in teams from Ferrum College, Radford University and Lynchburg General Hospital.
Many came because they have a personal stake in diabetes research. LeeAnn Brown's son, Brad, 14 , has diabetes, and gives himself insulin shots twice a day. Brown raised $1,000 by taking pledges from her customers at Dave's Restaurant in Roanoke County.
She got 250 pledges - without having to do any arm twisting. "I just told my customers my son is diabetic," she said. "I got $2 pledges, I got $3, I got $5, I got twenties and fifties."
LENGTH: Short : 45 linesby CNB