A couple of hundred people turned out today for the fight-pancreatic-cancer walk in our town park. Bethlehem is one of seven sites that holds walks annually, mainly because of the leadership of the Piper family, which has lost several members to the disease.
This is the sixth year the event, "The Walk for Hope,'' was held here. I was oblivious to it before.
Team Gallagher was well represented, with several friends joining Emily, Janice and Judi (my sister-in-law) and myself on the 1.2-mile route. Even Charlie, Janice's huge (100-pound) Old English Sheepdog, cavorted along on a crystal-clear late-summer day.
I don't know what the fund-raising total was for the whole event, but Team Gallagher chipped in with more than $1,700. We were blown away by the generosity of people. Thanks.
The walks around the country raised a total of $1.8 million last year. All the money goes for research, since the overhead is paid for by sponsors, most importantly Cablevision Systems. Cablevision executive Marc Lustgarten died from the disease a decade ago.
Hardest part was seeing so many people wearing tee-shirts and signs in memory of those who have died of the disease. Best part was hearing survival stories of those still around, including one woman who was diagnosed 25 years ago.
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It was lovely to meet you yesterday, however briefly. I went to high school with Janice, and wish we'd reconnected under very different circumstances.
ReplyDeleteAs of last night, the Albany walk has raised over $41,000. Since donations will be accepted for another couple of weeks, I imagine (and hope) that total will grow.
I wish you all the best of luck in your fight!
The Albany reporters miss you, Jay, but we're muddling through.
ReplyDeleteAssemblyman Brodsky just came in and was arguing with Tom Precious over the assemblyman's recent pulled pork dinner fundraiser. Brodsky insisted the event with local officials and political types and Albany lobbyists wasn't a fundraiser.
Then Tom, of course, noted: So you just pulled your own pork?
At that, Brodsky left.
Yes, we remain as mature as ever as we await your visit.
..Mike Gormley