About 150  health care reform activists and supporters rallied to send off  the marchers participating in the “March to the Finish Line for Melanie” – an eight-day walk from Philadelphia, PA, to Washington, DC 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 birthday 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, both spoke about how they have had difficulty getting medical treatment and being able 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 from Raising Women’s Voices Coalition, addressed women’s health issues

Union representatives—Kirk Shelton and Diane Topakian of SEIU, and John Meyerson, of  UFCW Local1776—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.

Here is some video of the beginning of the rally. Unfortunately we had some technical problems and lost the second part of the rally. But there will be more video along the march.