On October 11, at 10 a.m. in Douglas' Washington Park, the Casper office of the American Cancer Society will host its first statewide breast cancer walk, "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer."

Susan Thomas will be the guestspeaker at the event.

"Usually our events are county- or community-oriented, but we really want this to be a statewide event," said Cindy Allen, administrative assistant for the ACS's Casper office.

The walk will encourage support for the society's four approaches to fighting cancer: research, education, advocacy and patient services.

Money will be raised, Allen said, but the focus of the walk will be less on money and more on people.

"This one really isn't a big fundraiser," Allen said. "It's just to bring hope and awareness to people about breast cancer."

The walk is open to friends, family members, co-workers - "anyone that wants to help make a difference in the fight against breast cancer," she said.

Allen will be there to support her mother, a breast cancer survivor.

According to Karen Stillwell, quality of life manager for the Casper American Cancer Society, the event is worth even more to Wyoming than just a unified hope walk. Holding the statewide event could mean grant money for breast cancer support groups.

The grants, from about $10,000 and up to $250,000, can be used by breast cancer support groups to promote events such as free mammograms for uninsured or underinsured women in communities throughout the state.

"In the past, we've never had a statewide event in Wyoming, so we weren't allowed to apply for that money which goes to breast cancer," Stillwell said.