Several Brewster women came together to encourage people to peacefully debate illegal immigration rather than make racist comments in reaction to last week's fatal accident involving an immigrant.
"I'm tired of all the angry e-mails and comments that I've seen in all the newspapers," says Patti Hupp, of Brewster. "It's racist, it's hatred and it's wrong."
Hupp and other women are walking each day from the local library to the site where Lori Donahue and her 8-year-old daughter were killed June 8 after allegedly being mowed down by Conses Garcia-Zacarias. Garcia-Zacarias, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was allegedly drunk and did not have a license.
Francisco Espinal, who runs a deli near the crash site on Route 22, says his community is getting blamed for the actions of one man.
"That guy was drunk, but not everybody gets drunk," he says.
Espinal adds that many who live in the U.S. illegally are active participants in the community.
Hupp says she will continue to lead the walks seven days a week at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., rain or shine.
"I invite anyone to join me in a peaceful, peaceful activity that might bring about change because we're talking," she says.