Barbados' Walk for the Cure 2014

Over 5000 Barbadians turned out to run or walk the 5k Walk for the Cure 2014 on 5th October. In an island of only approximately 270,000 persons, 5000 is a large number at an event. It was a lovely evening with festivity in the air as we all crammed into the small space to start the walk at the location juxtaposed to the Garrison Savannah in front of the Clock Tower. Like Christmas in a Caribbean island, I met and greeted present and past friends and acquaintances who I had not seen in a long time. I saw some of my church-family members, acquaintances/friends who attended school with me years ago and friends from a different time very long ago. I had gone to do the walk with my work colleagues but due to the massive number of people present, I saw them only twice - at the starting line and again at the finishing line. Persons of all ages were there including my 18-month old daughter who did the entire journey in the pram without one complaint. She was not alone but was one of the many babies and toddlers in prams. In a true Caribbean style the announcer hailed the various groups represented as the pending crowd waited anxiously to start. Then away we went, some of us weaving through the crowd to pass persons as we raced to the finishing line while others walked and chatted. The going was slow at first because of the large number of persons in the small space but with the beautiful weather, greeting old and new friends and keeping in mind the reason I was walking made it an absolutely beautiful evening. I add my voice to the shout for a cure in memory of a friend who died a few years ago. I often took her to the hospital as I watched her suffer for 1 year, growing thinner and weaker. Then, my voice rings louder as my daughter's grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, so, I walk for the cure.