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Colchester County’s Nancy Brightman-Crosby and dog Rhys part of new cancer fundraiser
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EAST MOUNTAIN, N.S. — Nancy Brightman-Crosby doesn’t consider herself to be a spontaneous person but when she saw a new fundraising event from the Canadian Cancer Society, she said, in a way, it spoke to her.
“I thought, I’m supposed to do this,” she said about the 50 km Dog Walk Challenge for the Canadian Cancer Society, which she and her dog Rhys are now part of.
“It’s 50 kilometers in the month of June … about 1.7 kilometers a day. I figured I can do that,” Brightman-Crosby said, adding she is motivated by the many people in her life who have been impacted by cancer.
“I’ve never done any fundraisers for the Cancer Society even though I’ve had many years of dealing with family members, friends, and coworkers (with cancer or loved ones with the disease). Even today, there are people in my life who are living with cancer … survived but living with it. And I have another friend who is fighting it right now and was in an actual cancer trial. So that shows where the research is … that money raised can be beneficial.”
Because it was a new venture for her, Brightman-Crosby set a very modest goal of only $250 which she more than doubled after only a week and a half of being signed up. On the morning of May 29, her total was $595 with still plenty of time to add to that amount.
“It has been amazing. I set my goal very low because I thought, I’m just going to, kind of, quietly do this and everyone just started – boom, boom, boom – donating,” she said, the appreciation coming out in her tone. “So yes, it has been very good and encouraging because, like I said, I don’t know anybody who’s not affected by cancer.”
Brightman-Crosby said she likes to be active and walks quite a bit but having to achieve 50 km for the month with Rhys isn’t something that necessarily falls into her routine.
“Not consistently, anyways,” she said. “So that is another portion of this. He’s 8.5 (years old) and I’m like, gosh, you know, he’s not going to be around forever and the whole idea is to be active with your dog.
“And I like the idea that I have a deadline, I need to do it, but the good thing is, it’s 50 kilometers over that time. So if I don’t do it one day, I can double up the next day and make up for it.
“My walk from my house down to the end of my road is a kilometer … that’s nothing,” said the East Mountain, Colchester County resident.
Her kms are clocked through a Facebook page and Messenger chat connected to the campaign. It’s also where people can find her to donate – Nancy and Rhys fundraiser for 50km Dog Walk Challenge for Canadian Cancer Society – on Facebook.
Brightman-Crosby said it’s unfortunate for the people who want to donate without having to go online but, so far, that hasn’t been a big issue with most fairly comfortable to navigate the process.
“It all goes to them (Canadian Cancer Society) but it’s through Facebook,” she said. “And then once I read into the details, Facebook is waiving all the fees. For other fundraisers, there are fees associated with them but with this one, Facebook is not charging any fees to administer it.
“Obviously, there are some downsides to doing it all online, but it’s just one of the avenues they’re trying. And I think it’s brilliant because so many people are out walking their dogs anyway.”
And while she doesn’t have a set plan as to when and where she and Rhys will be putting in the km, Brightman-Crosby said there are a few common areas she normally goes for her walks.
“My most common would be in East Mountain where I live … we’re on the secondary road there,” she said. “Then, I walk in town because that’s where I work. And then I have done this one (section of Cobequid Trail off Village Court in Bible Hill) but I find it’s hard with him because he’s so much a hunting dog. He’s not a trotter, he’s a sniffer, so it’s hard … he’s sniffing all the little birds and squirrels. But I mean, this is such a beautiful path … we have a lot of nice walking trails around.”
And when she is able to stroll the one in Bible Hill, she is reminded why she’ll be walking for the Canadian Cancer Society as it’s named after a former softball teammate and friend, Paula MacDonald, who lost her battle to cancer in May of 2021.
“Of course, and I always touch the tree,” she said, referencing the small but hearty tree Paula would touch for strength on the trail which has since been renamed Paula’s Path.
