Sisters will walk The Walk

Renee, 18, and Debbie, 15, Crawford have been waiting for both to be of age to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk for breast cancer. With the youngest turning 16 two weeks before the Nov. 19 event, this is their year.

With less than six months before the walk, Debbie and Renee began the challenge of raising the $2,300 donation per person requested to embark on the 60-mile journey.

They said they are walking in honor of their great-grandma and Debbie’s second-grade male teacher who was hit with breast cancer.

“It’s a cause that we believe in and we are able to work toward supporting; we have been waiting for a long time,” Renee said.

Younger sister Debbie said it is a way to walk for those who can’t.

“We always figured if we could help, then why not do it in place of others who are not physically able to do the walk,” Debbie said. “Plus, fundraising is our thing.”

Debbie, a junior at Bonita Vista High School, said that although raising the $4,600 is the most difficult part of the event, their mother has been their greatest supporter.

Together, they have held raffles, barbecues and gone to community events and farmers markets to collect donations from the community.

“She is the fundraising queen,” Debbie said of her mother Shari. “With her support, we have always helped our athletic teams, school clubs and other causes come up with funds.”