Boro resident to finish race with her daughter Marianne Reagan plans to raise funds for breast cancer in marathon BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer When Eatontown residentMarianne Reagan crosses the finish line in a 39-mile marathon walk for breast cancer this summer, she won't be alone. Eatontown resident Marianne Reagan with daughter Kelly. In addition to thousands of participants in the fundraisingmarathon,Reaganwill be joined by her 29-year-old daughter, Kelly, who is bound to a wheelchair. The tradition of crossing the finish line at the end of every race with her daughter is one that started some 12 years ago when Reagan began participating in marathons. "She has never missed a race of mine or any other event," Reagan said of her daughter, who has cerebral palsy. The 53-year-oldmother of two explained that although her daughter physically cannot participate in an entire marathon, she always crosses the finish line at the end of each race. Kelly waits near the finish line at every event and when Reagan approaches the finish, Kelly iswheeled out and Reagan pushes her across the finish line. "I always cross the finish line with her," Reagan said. "She gets a kick out of it. It's very emotional for me. You can raise money and be with family." Marianne Reagan The tradition of crossing the finish line with her daughter will continue in July when Reagan participates in the two-day, 39-mile "Avon Walk for Breast Cancer" on July 12 and 13 in San Francisco. The walk will be held in eight locations across the country, including San Francisco andNewYork City, and is being held to help raise funds for the underinsuredwho are unable to afford the proper screenings and treatments for breast cancer. "[The walk] is not only for those less fortunate that can't afford treatment, but it is also to raise awareness," Reagan said. Of the thousands of people expected to participate in the walk, Reagan said a great number of the walkers will likely have some kind of connection to the disease. "I think we will be walking with a lot of survivors," Reagan said. "There are a lot of stories to be told." Reagan said she began raising funds for various causes through marathons because she can. "I got hooked on running and helping because I'mblessed with a healthy body," Reagan said. "The hardest part is the training," she said, explaining that the aches she feels while preparing herself for the marathons are nothing compared to the pain that those suffering fromthe diseases feel. Completing each event is one of the greatest feelings to experience, Reagan said. "It's the most wonderful feeling that you can truly ever have and when you can have your family there during the race, there is nothing like it," Reagan said. The Avon Breast Cancer walk will be split up over the course of the two-day weekend, with participants walking 26 miles on Saturday and walking the remaining 12 miles on Sunday. "We start by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and we go down around San Francisco and end up back at the bridge," Regan said about the first half of the race. Walkers will then spend the night camping outside at a base camp near the bridge and complete the second leg of the walk the following morning. JoiningReagan in thewalk to raise funds and awareness is her older sister, Beverly Losi, who is a San Francisco native. "I'm pumped to [walk] with my sister," Reagan said. "She participated in the Women's Nike Run with her daughter last year and raised huge amounts of money. "She is definitely psyched [about the AvonWalk],"Reagan said, adding, "It's going to be a real bonding experience." Like all other races, Reagan said she is looking forward to celebrating at the end of the racewhen she once again crosses the finish line with Kelly. Reagan added that she wishes she could wheelKelly for the entiremarathon, but she will be happy to be joined by her daughter at the end of the walk. "It's going to be fabulous with my family andmy sister's family all cheering," Reagan said. "I'm going to feel awesome." Past events that Reagan participated in include the Spin for Sloan-Kettering, the Spin forALF, and the Jersey Shore Relay. "When I did theOlympic triathlon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Teamin Training, Iwas just sobbing because you are doing it for yourself, other people and the cause," Reagan said. The first event Reagan participated in was for theArthritis Foundation in honor of her 83-year-old father, who suffers from the condition. Reagan has raised $25,000 for various causes through her fundraising marathon efforts. "Raising funds is hard," Reagan said. "You get your Christmas card list out and mail things to anyone you know. "So far I have raised about $500 [for the AvonBreastCancerWalk] and I only started two weeks ago," Reagan said. "I've sent out 70 correspondences and e-mailed old high school friends." Reagan said she has begun walking 18 miles each weekend to train for the event in July. "I found a training plan in one of my magazines and it's basically just walking four days a week and doing a long walk on the weekend," Reagan said. For more information on the Avon Walk forBreastCancer, visit the htpp://walk.avonfoundation. org.