Would you walk 60 miles - roughly the distance between McCready Memorial Hospital in Crisfield and downtown Ocean City - to save someone's life?
Dr. Sidney Barnes, McCready's surgeon, is doing just that in July (2010). He and his two younger sisters, Adrienne and Vivienne, plan to participate in a "Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure" walking event in Cleveland.
The Komen organization, founded in 1982, raises money for breast cancer research and to support related community programs.
Members of the Barnes' family gravitate to altruistic endeavors. Most recently, they helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity.
This time, however, it's personal.
Barnes' eight-year-old niece inherited the BRCA gene (from her father's side of the family) that makes her at high risk for developing breast cancer.
"This year was the first time we could help others while helping our own," said Barnes, McCready's staff surgeon.
Walking 60 miles is no small feat (it's actually 316,800 feet), even for a workout enthusiast like Barnes, who stays in shape training for triathlon events that include swimming, biking and running in the same day.
Barnes, 46, insists he's mentally and physically up to the endurance test of hiking 20 miles daily over a three-day weekend.
Raising the $2,300 entry fee for each member of "Team Barnes" is the real challenge.
"I'm confident I can come up with the money," Barnes said. "I want to make sure we have enough for my sisters to be there, too. It's important to all of us."
Barnes has been heartened by response from co-workers. McCready Operating Room colleague Lisa Kraus organized a raffle for an Easter bunny basket won by Terri Dize, activities director at the Tawes nursing home. Dorothy Szwec of the Outpatient Center staff won a 50-50 raffle tied to the annual NCAA basketball tournament bracket competition and then donated her winnings. Together, the events raised $250.
Barnes also asked friends and colleagues in local medical circles as well as his former Physician Assistant students to consider making a donation.
"They've been very generous," Barnes said.
Other activities included a jewelry raffle and a wine-tasting event featuring homemade merlots, chardonnays and pinot noirs crafted by Barnes, an amateur vintner.
Colleagues of human resources associate Susan Evans staged a book-signing for a new cookbook that includes Evan's recipe for a 10-layer Smith Island cake. She sold 100 books and donated $1,000 to Barnes' fund-raising efforts.
"My role as a physician is being an educator," Barnes said. Participating in the Komen walk "is one way for our entire family to have a part in raising awareness" about breast cancer.