Sunday's Walk for the Breast Cancer Network of Strength

Photo by Margaret Downing

Betty Trobaugh was there in a wheelchair. She enlisted the help of her three daughters to push her through the three-mile course. The first half of the non-competitive walk which started at Sam Houston Park and went down Allen Parkway wasn't bad -- all downhill.

Coming back after the turn at Waugh, it was another matter. Temperatures by now were in the low-90s and it was an uphill climb. About halfway through the second half of the walk, Trobaugh said one of her daughters had tired out and the one pushing her now was taking a little break. But they were going to make it.

Eva Grant was out there too in her Sunday best, covering the course with the aid of her walker and her son. A member of the Living Word Church, she is a breast cancer survivor.

It was the 5th Annual Walk to Empower in which several hundred walkers came out to raise money for breast-cancer information and support programs and to recognize breast cancer victims, both past and present.


Whole families were there, babies in strollers, and a lot of dogs made the walk or ended up being carried by their owners.

Dymond Hayes, Miss Teen Texas International, an 18-year-old who attends Parkway Christian School, was there to help cut the ribbon and to speak about relatives who've had breast cancer.

Several companies had walking teams and Ronald McDonald -- or a version thereof -- entertained kids and helped lead the warm-up exercises before the walk.

Bald and beautiful Maria Ortega was there too. She was walking despite going through chemo right now and in fact said there was a whole Team Fearless walking on her behalf.

And there were a lot more. To see our slide show, click here.

Update: Spokesperson Susan Lindsey says the event had 1,301 registered walkers and raised $169,849.