Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - CH - 3

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

STEPPING
TOWARD A CURE

Annual walk and 5K run unites the community
in support of the Cancer Resource Centre

SHOES PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

"I'm still here," says threetime cancer survivor Mary
Ann LaHayne, who for the
past 15 years has supported the Cancer
Resource Centre at the annual Unite &
Fight Cancer Walk & 5K Run fundraiser.
LaHayne had breast cancer in 1995, then
was diagnosed in 2010 with stage 4 lymphoma of the spleen and in 2016 with
lung cancer.
"It's wonderful to see survivors complete that first lap and then the walkers
and the runners join in, all for the same
cause," LaHayne says. "The Cancer
Resource Centre had a vision and that
vision has come true with Unite & Fight.
The event brings survivors and their
families together to support those with
cancer. As we raise awareness for this
important cause, it promotes camaraderie between all who are there."
She and her husband, Eldon, have
supported the Cancer Resource Centre
every year since the fundraiser's inception through monetary donations and
by distributing T-shirts at the event.
"The Cancer Resource Centre is the
only facility in this area that provides
holistic support and is free to cancer
patients, their caregivers and loved

ones," LaHayne says. "It's so important
to have a support system."
M. Nabil Shabeeb, MD, chairman of
the Cancer Resource Centre Advisory
Board, says the Unite & Fight event
is a great way to get involved and make
a difference.
"All of the money raised goes directly
to the Cancer Resource Centre,"
Shabeeb says. "Nearly $1.5 million has
been raised for programs and services
since the event began in 2001."
Every day someone in the community
faces a diagnosis of cancer. Coping with
that diagnosis can take an emotional toll
on individuals and families. The Cancer
Resource Centre offers a variety of
support groups, mind-body programs

Mary Ann LaHayne (left) and husband
Eldon (fourth from left) hand out T-shirts
at the Unite & Fight Cancer Walk & 5K Run
fundraiser for the Cancer Resource Centre.
Pictured with the LaHaynes are Carole
Strange, Charlene Sparks and Dale O'Donnell.

and educational resources to support
the emotional healing of individuals
and families.
The Centre, which is a program
of the Community Cancer Research
Foundation, is funded from donations
and grants, in-kind contributions and
volunteer support. Services to cancer
patients, their families and friends are
free of charge. ■

GIVE

Join a Team
Walk with us to honor someone
you love and support the fight
against cancer. The 16th annual
Unite & Fight Cancer Walk & 5K
Run is set to kick off at noon on
Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Munster
High School Football Field.
Teams are forming now. To get
involved, visit uniteandfight.
org or call 219-836-3349 for
more information.

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https://www.uniteandfight.org/ https://www.uniteandfight.org/
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - CH

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