Staff Writer

Mary Martin says she is disturbed by the number of people - particularly young people - who are fighting cancer, including lymphoma and leukemia.

In honor of her 50th birthday, she is going to do her part in the war against these illnesses. She is training for and collecting funds for the Nike Women's Marathon benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which will be held Oct. 19 in San Francisco. Mrs. Martin plans to walk 26 miles.

A Santuc resident and employee of the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Laurens, Mrs. Martin and her husband of 32 years, James, have three sons: Quendale, 31; Cornelius, 28; and Donzell, 20. She said she began walking to lose weight - she hopes to lose 50 pounds by her 50th birthday on Sept. 4. She received an announcement in the mail about the Nike marathon and decided to get ready for it.

“So many persons dear to me have died with cancer,” she said, including an uncle who had leukemia and her godmother, who had cancer.

To participate in the marathon, Mrs. Martin must raise $4,100. She has mailed letters to family members and churches and she plans to have a bake sale and other fund-raisers.

In preparation for the marathon, she walks during the week with friends from the Greenville area. Recently, she walked more than 13 miles in Union.

“I try to walk eight a day,” she said.

Mrs. Martin said she tried to encourage some of the people with whom she walks to also get involved in the marathon, but she is the only one she knows of from the area who is preparing.

“I wish I had the right words to encourage people in this,” she said. “Cancer is a serious disease. There is no certain age you get it. It give me chills to talk about it and see such young people dying from it.”

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(Tax-deductible donations to help Mrs. Martin reach her fund raising goal may be mailed to 611 Joe Walker Road. Checks should be made out to the LLS Society.)