Meagan Clawar is moving toward a pretty big milestone, next month she turns 16. But she doesn't want a party, to go to dinner, or gifts. Meagan wants to walk sixty miles for Susan G. Komen's 3-Day for the Cure.
"Being able to take away from the experience the amazing people you meet and the amazing stories you hear, I think makes you a better person," said Meagan.
It is an experience, a milestone Meagan has asked her mom to be a part of too.
"I was very honored that she asked me," said Kathleen, her mother.
You might expect that Meagan's desire to walk is driven by a loved ones experience with breast cancer. But she says that no one in her family has been touched by the disease. She just sees the survivors, their friends and family, and feels connected by their common humanity.
"It's sad, but it's inspiring to see they are making something good out of it and they are helping other people," said Meagan.
"None of us know what's in our future for ourselves personally or any of our friends or moms," said Kathleen.
"You get a good feeling inside that you helped someone out," said Meagan.
That spirit of giving has run through Meagan forever. Past birthdays have been marked not by gift, but by donations to the Leukemia - Lymphoma Society.
"I don't need presents. It helps them, makes them happy, brings a smile to their face, hopefully," she said.
This summer Meagan held a passionately pink party to raise money to help fight breast cancer.
And when the tsunami hit Japan, she and her friends raised money by selling paper cranes. The money went to the Red Cross.
"People wrote their names on them and we made them into a giant mobile that we shipped to a school in Japan," said Meagan.
To reach her latest goal, Meagan has to raise $4,600 for her and her mom to walk. Because she is a minor, she has to have an adult walk with her.
At first the donations took off, but now they're still about $3,000 short.
"It's a hard time of the year with a lot of people out of work and the recent disasters in the area," said Kathleen. "We are hopeful we can still make our goal."
This year Meagan's birthday wish is a walk, hoping that down the road it can become something more.
"Anyone's sister, mother or daughter could get this so it's really important to walk so hopefully they can come up with a cure so people don't have to walk for this cause anymore," said Meagan.
Meagan and her mom say that even if they can't reach their goal to do the walk, all the donations they collect will be given to Susan G. Komen anyway.
