CHRISTINA HALE | Washington Daily News

A group of operating room nurses from Beaufort County Hospital who call themselves The High-Mileage Strollers will walk 39.3 miles for breast cancer in May.

The 2008 May Avon Walk for Breast Cancer takes place in Washington, D.C., and covers 26 miles on Saturday and 13 miles on Sunday. "It's thousands of people. A river of pink walking," said team leader Cindy Alligood on Monday.

The Strollers are Alligood, Donna Kirk, Sue Waters and Barbara VanLandingham.

"We see breast cancer just about every day. It's a very good cause," VanLandingham said.

Before the walk, the four women must train and raise at least $1,800 each for the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade. "I feel like we can do it," Alligood said.

The money helps provide access to care for those who need it, fund educational programs and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures.

Alligood found out about the breast cancer walks in a fitness magazine and asked if anyone wanted to team up. Kirk, Waters and VanLandingham agreed.

"I have a very good friend who had breast cancer. She's doing well now so it hit close to home for me," VanLandingham said.

As operating-room nurses, all four "see the effects of cancer almost every day of people coming in," Alligood said. "It ... touched my heart."

"We all love what we do and we all love to exercise. This way we can do something together," VanLandingham said.

The nurses are walking regularly to increase their distance, but must raise the money in order to walk.

Bobby Hodges, owner of Paul Funeral Home of Washington wanted to support the nurse's efforts and is donating $1,000 said his wife, Betsy Hodges. Betsy Hodges also works at Beaufort County Hospital.

If the walk in Washington, D.C., goes well, the nurses hope to do two or three different walks a year. Walks will take place in nine cities in 2008, according to the Avon Foundation Web site. The closest walk in Charlotte takes place in October. When the nurses decided to walk, it was already too close to October, VanLandingham said.

"It was just not enough time to prepare, but this is the next one closest to us," she said.

"We want to raise awareness and show people ... that everybody can help. If they are unable to get out there and walk, maybe they could donate," Alligood said.

Approximately 178,480 women and 2,030 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Just over 40,000 women and 450 men in the U.S. die from the disease annually, according to the Avon Foundation Web site. Every three minutes, there is a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer and every 13 minutes, a life is lost to breast cancer.