Balloons lead the way at the Melissa Memorial Hospital Cancer Walk on Friday, Aug. 27, as survivors, family, friends and community members helped raise funds for the MMH Pink Out Program. Walkers are pictured from left, Kathi Stanley, Lisa Schilke, Julie Tonsing, Mark Tonsing, Sarah Martin, Reiland Ober, Candace Martin, Krista Maupin, Jody Maupin, Harry Kinner and Julie Kinner. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications
During Friday’s cancer walk, Dragon football players proudly carry Jeffrey Espinoza’s jersey to honor their teammate who was recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pictured from left are Trey Oakley, Hunter Vermeulen, Jadon Frost, Max Kleve, Miles Sprague, Cash Weber and Johny Quintana. Sign-up fees for high schoolers who participated in the walk were donated to Espinoza. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications
From left, Dr. Craig McCarty and wife Breck get a hug of support from Nancy Colglazier. Event organizers handed out flowers to cancer survivors during the opening ceremony of the MMH Cancer Walk. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications
‘You don’t walk this walk alone’
Good weather, good food, good company and a good cause all came together for the Melissa Memorial Hospital Cancer Walk on Friday evening, Aug. 27.
The event raised $6,247 from approximately 150 walk registrations, the sale of luminarias, donations and T-shirt purchases. Proceeds will go toward the MMH Pink Out Program, which helps those in need receive low-cost or free annual screening mammograms.
Organizers were also pleased that they could partner with local students and teachers, who helped raise funds from high schoolers who signed up for the walk, donation jars and wristband sales for classmate Jeffrey Espinoza, who was recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The summer evening kicked off with music, games and food trucks in the MMH parking lot.
At the opening ceremony, Kathi Stanley told the crowd of people about being diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 40s. She and sister Lisa Schilke, who was also at Friday’s walk, share some of the same cancer experiences. “As I was halfway through my treatment, my sister was just beginning her fight,” said Stanley.
“We are forever changed,” she said. “It’s not something that we just get over.”
Stanley recently moved back to Holyoke. She feels fortunate to have local options for treatments — something she’ll have to continue doing for the rest of her life. “Some days I’m thriving. Some days I’m just surviving.”
Christi Anne Gibson shared her breast cancer story, which began almost exactly four years ago.
Although she was reluctant to take time out of her busy schedule for doctor appointments and mammograms, Gibson is so glad she did because her 3.5-centimeter suspicious tumor rapidly grew to 5.5 centimeters.
She’s thankful for the compassionate and timely care that she received at Melissa Memorial Hospital.
“You don’t walk this walk alone,” Gibson said in encouragement to other cancer survivors and families in the crowd.
Event organizers presented survivors with flowers as the cancer walk commenced under the colorful balloon archway.
Luminarias made out of white balloons were purchased in memory and in honor of loved ones. They lined the border of the MMH parking lot and began to glow as the sun set in the distance, lighting the way for survivors, family, friends and community members Friday evening.
For more information or to apply for the Pink Out Program, contact Cherene Nester at MMH, 970-854-2241, ext. 2024.