In the midst of all the parading and Labor Day celebrating, there's Carmen Harris and her partner in crime Stephanie Singleton.
“She's just an awesome, awesome sponsor," Harris said.
Singleton returns the compliment, "I'm always inspired by Carmen, and more so inspired by her today and her presence being here at the parade."
Although you would never know it when you're around the tight-knit duo, the two have actually just been reunited after losing touch for more than 25 years.
“Carmen and I we actually graduated from Central Hower High school, and that's pretty much how our friendship started, but then it departed after graduation," said Singleton.
It all started when Carmen was diagnosed with stage 4 liver and colon cancer last fall.
"It's definitely a terminal illness, but I'm in it to fight," Harris said.
Documenting her journey on Facebook, the posts caught Singleton’s eye, and she knew she just had to do something.
“It was a shock, really a complete shock,” she said. “The part that really connected me to her because I am a hairstylist is that hair that I've known Carmen to have was no longer there. I had launched my own product line….and it switched from being profits to proceeds."
Calling the campaign, "Carmen's Angel's,” she'll be giving 10 percent of profits from her hair care line to Carmen's medical expenses. And as if that weren’t enough, she traveled all the way from California today to march in the East Akron Parade with her friend.
"This is her community, this is her home and this is where I need to be," Singleton said.
Walking and not riding through the parade, Harris said her rekindled friendship and support from Stephanie is one of the things that keeps her going.
"It's just awesome, it's awesome, I'm just humbled by it...God put us together I believe because we have the same spirit."
Carmen is set to have her 3rd surgery at the end of this month and is hoping this will be the final major procedure she'll have to have in order to be cancer free.
You can find out more about Carmen's Angel's here, and contact Carmen herself via email.
