Fifth annual walk founded by late Marblehead resident set for Sunday

MARBLEHEAD – Thursday marked the first anniversary of the death of Marblehead resident Sarah Bryant Smith, who lost a courageous five-year battle with cancer in 2009.But her life continues to inspire people to support cancer patient care.Sunday morning hundreds of walkers are expected to gather at Devereux Beach for the fifth annual Breast Friends Walk Around Marblehead Neck, a walk Smith started in 2006.Sponsored by the non-profit Breast Friends Foundation, founded by Smith and her husband, Adam Smith, the walk helps a Massachusetts General Hospital program that assists women cancer patients in need of financial assistance.Walkers and volunteers are always welcome.As Carol Smith, Adam’s mother, puts it, "This is a bittersweet time.""Sarah wanted this walk to be for the town and the people, to bring them together," Carol Smith said. "She had such a giving nature and the response has been amazing."Sarah Smith’s friends described her as "a poster child for good health and fitness," but she was diagnosed with breast cancer less than two weeks after she and Adam Smith announced their engagement. She became a symbol of the randomness with which the disease can strike.She maintained an optimistic attitude about treatment and dealt with the loss of her shoulder-length hair. After three surgeries and months of chemotherapy and preventive medicine, the illness went into remission and she and Adam Smith were married. Then it returned, worse than before.Carol Smith knew the statistics about her illness: one out of every eight women will receive a diagnosis of breast cancer in their lifetime and 178,000 women in America are diagnosed with it every year.After undergoing treatment, Carol Smith didn’t have the time or energy for long three-day walks or all-day events that raise money for breast cancer. Instead, she created something easier, "a simple walk around the Neck."That’s how the annual Breast Friends walk fundraiser was born. Each walker donates a minimum of $20.They receive a Breast Friends T-shirt and enjoy a scenic three-mile walk around beautiful Marblehead Neck.Her initial hope was to raise $1 for every person in Marblehead, around $22,000. Last year’s walk raised more than $37,000.Donations can be sent to National Grand Bank, 91 Pleasant St., Marblehead, MA 01945 c/o Laura Best, or online at http://www.firstgiving.com/breastfriendswalk.The event begins at 9 a.m.