Annual Breast Cancer Walk Focuses on Awareness & Support

posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 in General

Celebrate survivors, honor loved ones who have lost their breast cancer battle, support those who are currently undergoing cancer care and join in helping bring attention to the importance of increasing awareness of breast cancer screenings and treatment by participating in the Spencer area Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 4 PM.

“One in every eight women in the United States is at risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, so it’s essential to continue to draw attention to the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices and getting routine screenings to hopefully detect breast cancer in early stages,” said Jeannette Hasley, Spencer Hospital’s Women’s Health Director.

“The theme for this year’s event is ‘Fight Cancer’ as like a we come together to support the women and their team of support who have bravely fought and continue to fight,” commented Hasley. “This is a wonderful event as we have hundreds of people –women, men and children – gather with us in Spencer Hospital’s park to launch the walk following a brief ceremony. You can truly feel the camaraderie and bonding among survivors, current patients, family and friends as we join together to celebrate lives and pay tribute to those we’ve loss to breast cancer. This year we are honored to have one of our own survivors, Teresa Alesch, speak prior to the walk. She is the author of the book Broken to Brave: Finding Freedom from the Unlived Life.”

The awareness walk is free to attend, thanks to the sponsorships from Avera Medical Group Spencer, Avera Home Medical of Spencer Hospital, Northwest Iowa Surgeons, Abben Cancer Center and Spencer Hospital.  Registration for the walk begins at 3:30 pm in Spencer Hospital’s Grand Avenue Park. 

The walk takes participants through the highly visible area of downtown Spencer. From the hospital park, participants will walk south on Grand Avenue, across the bridge, and then return to the hospital, walking north on the east side of the street. For those who wish to walk a true 5K, there’s an additional loop through East Leach Park to achieve that goal.

In the case of inclement weather, the walk will take place in Southpark Mall. Please watch Spencer Hospital’s Facebook page, website and More 104.9 radio for weather-related announcements.

“It is so heart-warming to see the hundreds of people of all ages who join us for our awareness walk each October,” commented Mindy Sylvester, a Certified Breast Patient Nurse Navigator at Spencer Hospital. “This event is strictly for fun and awareness so people can walk or run as far or as little as they’d like and at any speed.”

Sylvester said that while anyone is encouraged to attend and walk, a special invitation is extended to breast cancer survivors who will be recognized during a brief ceremony prior to the walk.

Participants are encouraged to wear pink. Also, special breast cancer awareness walk t-shirts are provided as supplies last. Walkers who are interested in making a freewill donation to the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation for Women’s Health Services or the Abben Cancer Center will have an opportunity to do so at the event.