York Town News
Breast cancer survivors and friends walk to fight cancer and support each other
By Melissa Wood
York Hospital Breast Cancer Survivor Group's Seventh Annual Walk for Hope has raised $19,000, with more donations coming in, to support causes right here in Maine. Pictured are participants in the walk stretching before the leaving the York Beach Ballpark.
Photo by Melissa Wood
YORK BEACH - Breast cancer survivors and their families and friends participated in the Seventh annual Walk for Hope on Thursday, Aug. 3, raising almost $19,000, so far, for breast cancer causes in Maine.
The walk was hosted by the York Hospital Breast Cancer Survivor Group and drew 275 walkers. More donations are expected to come from money raised by people who couldn't make the walk, which should bring the total to over $20,000.
"All of the money stays in Maine," said JoAnn Noel, support group facilitator and eight-year survivor of breast cancer. Noel said the money raised would be going to the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition, Maine Cancer Foundation and York Hospital Wellness Center.
The event helped demonstrate how important it is for survivors to have support from family and friends and from each other.
"They cannot make it alone," said Ed MacGorman during the opening ceremony. "Faith. Hope. Love. Those are the ingredients that brought you here today."
MacGorman's wife Sally is a 23-year survivor of breast cancer.
The walkers gathered at the Short Sands Ballpark and walked to Long Sands Beach along either a two-miles or an optional five-mile loop.
Survivors wore dark pink T-shirts while their friends and family wore light pink.
Wayne McIntire was one of the many in pink in support of his wife, Judy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in January.
As a York resident, Judy McIntire said she felt it was important to stay in York for her treatment and had her surgery at York hospital.
Support group facilitator Jean Smith, "called right up and offered support," McIntire said, adding she didn't join the group until she felt better and has been going since May.
McIntire said the support group has been a bond and a place where survivors can talk openly about coping with the disease.
"It's a wonderful support group," she said.
That bond was obvious on Thursday as McIntire received hugs as people continuously stopped by to wish her well. McIntire said her daughter remarked on the number of cards she has received, pointing out she had about 180 cards in one box.
"They still keep coming in," McIntire said. "It's amazing."
McIntire's daughter Lisa also joined in the walk, bringing along her daughter and coworkers from Stonewall Kitchen.
Susan Pape, who is a breast cancer survivor and works at Stonewall Kitchen, said she and McIntire knew each other from way back.
"Judy and I grew up on the same street," said Pape, adding, "we waitressed together in Ogunquit when we were 15."
McIntire, who has been through surgery, chemotherapy and had two more days of radiation treatment left at the time of the walk, said she invited her husband to see exactly what she's going through during her treatment. McIntire said he's been her rock.
Linda Colan of Dover, N.H., is a four-year survivor and had all of her treatment at York Hospital, which she said was "absolutely fantastic. Everybody was so good to me."
Colan said she joined in the walk to raise money in particular for the York Hospital Wellness Center, which offers free services to breast cancer patients such as massage, Reiki and meditation.
"It's for things to help the patients deal, take away their pain, take away their anxiety," Colan said. "If someone's hair falls out in treatment, they give them a hat to wear."
The walk was the first one for Colan, who wanted to help raise money to make sure the Wellness Center could continue to help survivors.
"We're walking for our people and ourselves," she said.
At the closing ceremony, Sally MacGorman was surprised when presented with a quilt made from T-shirts from previous Walks for Hope. Noel said MacGorman has done much to support other breast cancer survivors.
"We all felt that she really deserved to have this quilt," she said.
The Walk for Hope has raised over $100,000 in the past six years to support breast cancer causes in Maine.
The York Hospital Breast Cancer Survivor Group welcomes new members and meets the third Monday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Ellis Conference Room at York Hospital. Both the support group and the Walk for Hope are run completely by volunteers.
Businesses also showed their support with donations. Chiropractic Works donated bottled water, Hannaford donated bars given out to walkers and Starbucks donated coffee.
"Everybody in the area just helps out," said Noel.
Noel said the support group has some survivors who come every month and some that come once in a while.
"Even if they can't make it all the time, at least they all know we're there for them," she said.
