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Once again the largest delegation at Tamika and Friends* (TAF) Second Annual "Beat the Clock" Walk against cervical cancer was the union delegation. About 300 people registered for the walk, with union walkers making up close to half of that number. Metropolitan Washington Council President Jos Williams and Community Service Agency Executive Director Kathy McKirchy set the pace for the union walkers.
The CLUW team, led by DC CLUW, included so many participants that it walked away with a $2,500 challenge grant to fund cervical cancer education. The walk took place at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC on Saturday morning, May 17.
TAF dedicated the walk to Susan Ellen Holleran, founding CLUW member, former national and DC CLUW officer, women’s rights and workers’ rights activist. Susan, who worked with CLUW and Tamika to educate unions about the deadly disease, attended the first walk. She hoped to be part of the CLUW delegation at this one. But Susan wasn’t there, as she died of cervical cancer on December 15, 2007. Instead, her name was on the Beat the Clock Walk banner over the stage.
Qiagen, the diagnostic test maker that funds CLUW’s Cervical Cancer Prevention Works (CCPW) project, issued a challenge the previous month to its HPV Network Partners (CLUW is one) that the team with the most participants would win a $2,500 grant.
Thanks to the enthusiastic union response to the challenge, the CLUW team, which consisted of all union walkers, won the grant. D.C. CLUW Secretary-Treasurer Connie Cordovilla was the CLUW team leader.
In addition to people walking as CLUW members, union walkers included delegations from CSEA Local 1000 (New York, NY) that came down by bus just for the walk, and a delegation from Tamika’s home union, AFSCME Council 20. Additionally, IAM, CLUW activists Lois Williams (Oklahoma) and Diane Tomavi (WA) flew in to be part of the CLUW team, which also included members of the Communications Workers and OPEIU.
The unions and their friends and supporters brought in $3,873, which included donations donations of $500 collected in memory of Susan Holleran by National CLUW, $1,000 from AFSCME Local 1000, $760 from AFSCME Council 20, $250 from the Teamsters and $150 from the A. Philip Randolph Institute D.C. chapter.
DC CLUW Chapter President Brenda Savoy, along with CCPW Director Carolyn Jacobson, accepted the grant (presented in a form of an oversized check. Carolyn thanked all the union walkers and the unions who signed up to walk and Brenda noted that making a plan to use the grant would be the first agenda item at the next chapter meeting.
Immediately prior to the actual walk, CCPW Director Carolyn Jacobson, told participants about Susan Holleran, closing her remarks by saying, “I can’t think of a better tribute to Susan than for each of us to commit ourselves to do what we can to make sure that all the women we know are aware of how to prevent cervical cancer and that they follow through with appropriate action.”
*Tamika & Friends, a non-profit (founded by CLUW member Tamika Felder), created and headed by CLUW member Tamika Felder, works to educate all women about HPV and its link to cervical cancer, and supports women who are fighting this devastating disease.
The Coalition of Labor Union Women's cervical cancer program, Cervical Cancer Prevention Works (CCPW), is a partner of Tamika and Friends.
Click here for more information on CCPW and materials focused on union women.
To donate to TAF, click here. |
