Health Care Rally Kicks Off March to Washington

About 150 health care reform activists and supporters rallied on Wednesday to send off the marchers participating in the “March to the Finish Line for Melanie” – an eight-day walk from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in honor of one health reform advocate who recently lost her battle with breast cancer after her insurance company refused to pay for the treatment her doctors said she needed.

Leaders of Mother Bethel AME Church welcomed the marchers and their supporters to the historic church, which is celebrating the 250th birth of founder Richard Allen this year. Brenda Shelton Dunston, who chairs the church’s Health Commission and works with the Black Women’s Health Project, and Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler, senior pastor, both spoke about the moral need for health care reform.

Amy Fitzpatrick, one of the marchers, and Diane R. Conner, a cancer patient, spoke about how they have had difficulty getting medical treatment and were unable to pay for necessary medications when they lost their health insurance because of job losses and cutbacks. Rebecca Foley, advocacy director for Women’s Way, the lead partner in the Raising Women’s Voices Coalition, addressed women’s health issues.

Union representatives - Kirk Shelton and Diane Topakian of SEIU, and John Meyerson, with UFCW Local 1776 - urged the crowd to challenge their representatives in Congress to take action. Marc Stier, HCAN State Director, concluded the meeting with a call for everyone to march, and about 30 people braved the snow- and ice-covered sidewalks to start the walk. Six people are walking the entire route, with others scheduled to walk for a day or two along the way.

Read media reports on the walk so far:

Walking to Washington
WHYY-FM, February 18, 2010

Health Care Advocates Walking to Washington for Reform
KYW Newsradio, February 18, 2010

Norristown's own Antoinette Kraus walking to Washington D.C. for health care reform
Norristown Times-Herald, February 17, 2010

Health-care rally to kick off march to Washington
The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 17, 2010