By Jennifer McGowan

LAVALLETTE - Breast cancer will strike more than 200,000 times this year and claim more than 40,000 lives, according to the American Cancer Society. But The Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe and hundreds of walkers are doing something about it.

Together with The American Cancer Society's, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, The Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe, located at 2305 Grand Central Ave., is holding its first annual 2-mile breast cancer walk, "Together, We Can Lick this Disease," on Sunday, August 8 throughout the Lavallette community. Beginning at The Music Man, registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the Walk at 9 a.m. There is a $20 registration fee, which includes a t-shirt, water bottle, pledge form and a map of the Walk down the Lavallette boardwalk, as well as important phone numbers to resources. Afterwards, walkers are welcomed back to The Music Man for refreshments and free scoops of ice cream. There is also a alternate route available for those who are unable to walk the entire 2 mile.

"Breast cancer is a disease that has robbed families of mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters and friends. Breast cancer affects so many women, that it will likely touch someone you know," says Robert Agliata, owner of The Music Man, along with his wife Josephine Sessa-Agliata. "Our goal is to get hundreds of people to walk in order to raise awareness and funds throughout the shore community for breast cancer research, patient services, education, and advocacy."

Agliata, whose own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago, says that his mother's survival is inspiration for the Walk and for all women with breast cancer. "My mother is a nine-year breast cancer survivor who is participating in the Walk and is encouraging others to do the same," Agliata explains. "When my mom was diagnosed, it was the first time cancer hit our family so closely. She has always been a fighter, and because of her struggle and her strength, I've always wanted to do something to fight this disease, and donating money each year just wasn't enough."

Agliata says his mother, Antoinette Agliata, is also the motivation behind their idea to create a foundation for breast cancer research, called the "Create a Tone" Foundation. "The idea is to help find a cure for breast cancer and honor my mother at the same time."

For now, this year's Walk is intended to help bring the community closer together to fight this disease, Sessa-Agliata adds. "The first step is to raise awareness," she says. "That's our hope - we are taking to the streets to walk as one and make a difference in the lives of all women with breast cancer right here in the Lavallette area. We want this event to bring people together to stand up to breast cancer and help support life-saving research, education, advocacy, and patient and family services, while having a good time.

"And the Lavallette community has embraced us and the Walk. We have had support from the Lavallette Police, Mayor's Council, Business Association, and the South Jersey chapter of the American Cancer Society."

If you cannot make it to the Walk, the Agliatas and The Music Man staff asks that women raise their awareness of breast cancer by learning the following The American Cancer Society's guidelines on lowering the risk of breast cancer:

• Stop smoking: Smoking affects overall health and increases the risk for many other cancers, as well as heart disease.
• Limit alcohol: Alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared to non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have an increased risk, and those who have two to five drinks daily have about one and a half times the risk of women who drink no alcohol.
• Watch your weight and limit fat: Obesity has been suggested as a breast cancer risk factor in all studies, especially for menopausal women.
• Exercise: Recent studies indicate that strenuous exercise in youth might provide life-long protection against breast cancer and that even moderate physical activity as an adult can lower the breast cancer risk.

For more information about the Walk or The Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe, call (732) 85-HAPPY (854-2779), or email icecream@njmusicman.com. For more information about breast cancer or the American Cancer Society, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit its web site at www.cancer.org.