Posted: Sunday, August 17, 2008 12:00 am
Miss Oregon USA Mary Lee Horch is the grand marshal of the 13th annual Albany Soroptimist Walk for the Cause of Breast Cancer Awareness on Oct. 4.
The walk begins with registration at 8 a.m. at the Linn County Courthouse. Before the walk there will be a silent auction, group pictures and a health screening.
The health screening is provided by Samaritan Health Services and includes checks for skin cancer and osteoporosis. The suggested donation is $1.
Several businesses support the walk, including longtime presenting sponsors Pennington Seed and Samaritan Health Services.
Proceeds from the walk remain in the community and are used to help uninsured and underinsured women in the detection and treatment of breast cancer and to provide support services to women when dealing with other diseases.
Those that want to walk the 3.5-mile course around historic Albany or who just want to donate can call the walk hotline, 928-6311.
Horch was born in Corvallis and grew up in a bilingual household speaking Spanish and English. She trained for 13 years at the Corvallis Academy of Ballet and volunteered for Meals On Wheels, the American Cancer Society and the humane society.
Horch graduated from Oregon State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in business marketing.
Soroptimist spokeswoman Valerie Fulleton said Horch's favorite quote is from Eleanor Roosevelt: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Previous grand marshals include Albany natives Mike Donahue of KOIN 6 News and Mike Barrett, announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers; KATU personality Helen Raptis; previous Miss America Katie Harman; and TV personality Anne Jaeger.
Democrat-Herald