Anson County walks to STOMP Out Cancer

ANSONVILLE — Patricia A. Harrison’s STOMP Out Cancer Walk, now on its 12 year,, held another successful walk into history Saturday. Harrison credits Ansonville Mayor Angela Caraway with giving her the idea to start the walk.

“She [Caraway] spearheaded a cancer event in Raleigh. I thought, that sounds like a good idea, let’s do one in Anson. We picked a date and we have been going ever since,” Caraway said.

Started in 2012, nothing short of a global pandemic could keep Anson County cancer warriors away from the walk.

“This is our first year back after COVID and it’s a good crowd, but we need to build it back up to where we were,” Caraway said.

Harrison knows first- hand how integral being serious about cancer really is. Though she started the cancer walk initially because she believes in the cause, Harrison soon learned she would have a personal reason for supporting the cancer walk. “A couple days before our first walk I came home to a call from my doctor telling me that I had cancer. I planned this walk to help others and I ended up helping myself.”

Cancer free for twelve years, Harrison is a survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the body’s lymph nodes. In addition to Harrison, many other cancer survivors were present and ready to walk against cancer.

An 8 year cancer survivor, Lillie Ingram also came to walk. We need to be “United to end breast cancer,” she says. Toforya Hailey, another walker, agrees, saying it will take “Hope, strength [and] courage,” to eradicate cancer. Local political celebrity Vancine Sturdivant also walked to STOMP Out Cancer.

“The walk is very important. Cancer touches everyone, maybe not you, but maybe someone in your home, someone that you know. When we come together and fight, we win,” Sturdivant said.

Red Hill Missionary Church Pastor Samantha Bowden walked for her husband, George, who just received his last cancer treatment. Walker Denise Watkins says she came out “To support everyone.”

The STOMP Out Cancer walk procession was led by the encouraging cheers of the Anson County Middle School Cheerleaders as they walked from the Caraway Business and Learning Center through the streets of Ansonville. ACSO’s finest, Deputies Cox, Alexson, Marsh, and Captain Beam escorted walkers throughout their route, ensuring the safety of both pedestrians and drivers during the event.