Fundraising for 15th Annual Cancer Walk

Posted: March 2014

As the final hours of 2013 came to a close, supporters of the UMass Medicine Cancer Walk found an extra reason to celebrate. On Dec. 31, 2013, Walk organizers proudly announced that individuals, fundraising teams and corporate sponsors had collectively raised $510,000 for the 15th annual event.

“This is a tremendous achievement and our many supporters are to be commended and congratulated for their dedication and commitment to raising money for our Cancer Center,” said Giles Whalen, MD, interim director of the UMass Medicine Cancer Center of Excellence, chief of surgical oncology & endocrine surgery and professor of surgery. “To see an increased level of support from individuals and corporations within our local communities is heartwarming and inspiring.”

An estimated 12,000 people participated in the 2013 UMass Medicine Cancer Walk on Sunday, Sept. 29, raising money to support research, care and clinical trials at the CancerCenter. There were also 17 corporate sponsors, including the Harr Motor Group, which conducted a fundraising challenge that raised more than $53,000.

As a way to recognize outstanding individual fundraisers, a group called the 500 Club was created to acknowledge those individuals who obtained pledges of $500 or more for the Walk. The inaugural group of 500 Club members totaled 200.

On Jan. 30, 2014, a thank-you reception for 500 Club members and team leaders whose teams raised $1,000 or more was held in the Ambulatory Care Center on the Worcester campus shared by UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Medical School. Attendees celebrated their recent achievements and began making plans and commitments for the 2014 Walk, which will take place on Sunday, Sept. 28.

“I am alive and well because of the exceptional treatment and care I received at UMass,” said Pattie Peloquin, a patient of the Cancer Center who spoke at the reception. “If I can do for someone else what was done for me, I’m in. Being a team leader and raising funds for the UMass Medicine Cancer Walk is my way to say thanks, to give back and to provide hope to other cancer patients.”

More information about the UMass Medicine Cancer Walk can be found online at www.umassmed.edu/cancerwalk. The Walk is also on Facebook and Twitter. 

Story published in the Spring 2014 edition of the Your UMass medicine newsletter (pdf).