Breast Cancer Walk set for Bayside this Sunday

With still two more weeks left in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there is still plenty to do to show support and fund the cause. And plenty of people will be lacing up their sneakers for the Third Annual Breast Cancer Walk at Bayside this coming Sunday, Oct. 18.

Sponsored by Curves of Selbyville, PNC Bank and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, the Heels for Hope Breast Cancer Walk will take place at the Bayside community near Selbyville, on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and will benefit Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition Inc. (DBCC).

“We are thrilled that we can continue to support a great cause,” said Patti Grimes, vice president of outreach and programming for the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. “And it’s great to know that the funds are staying right here to help the women of Delaware. It’s a wonderful way to continue the awareness.”

The walk began three years ago, after Brenda Granz, owner of Curves of Selbyville and a 20-year breast cancer survivor, approached Grimes about holding the event at Bayside.

“So many people have been touched in one way or another by breast cancer,” said Granz, “and I hope that we will have more people come out and support the event, as they have in the past. The money is staying here in Delaware, for those who really need it.”

This year is the first time that the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition is the sole recipient of funds raised from the event, and Susan DiMondi of the DBCC said she is pleased to have the support.

“As a survivor, myself,” she said, “I’m really excited about the Heels for Hope walk. We have great local partnerships to help us raise awareness and funds. In our community, there are definitely needs to understand the risks and threat of breast cancer. If a woman gets diagnosed locally, by the end of the day, they can talk to a survivor and connect on a personal level, and a lot of times, you really need that. The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition has a strong peer program to offer support and really give hope.”

The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and the only organization in the state solely devoted to breast health issues. Funds raised from the Heels for Hope walk this Sunday will stay in Delaware to assist the DBCC in its mission to provide outreach, education and support services.

“The national organizations do wonderful job to help women,” DiMondi added, “and the DBCC offers clinical trials in the community. We do have a research background also, so those who are newly diagnosed, recurrent or are very young, or have developed a rare form of breast cancer, can really get the help and support they need from a local aspect.”

She estimated that more than 500 breast cancer educators and survivors are available statewide, with a number in southern Sussex County, as well. “Every one of them wants to help and mentor,” she said. “Most women feel obligated to give back to the community and be there for those who need it most.”

“We’re very pleased to be able to have so many people come together for a great cause,” said Grimes.

Registration for the Heels for Hope Breast Cancer Walk at Bayside costs $15 and will take place at the PNC Bank parking lot of the Bayside Marketplace, located at the intersection of Route 54 and Route 20, at 31231 Americana Parkway near Selbyville, from 7:30 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. Participants have the choice of 2.5K or 5K walks that wind through the Bayside community. Walkers can pre-register, as well, by contacting Brenda Granz at Curves of Selbyville by calling (302) 436-5833 or DBCC at (302) 644-6844. A bake sale and raffle will also be held on Sunday, Oct. 18.

Despite rainy conditions for the event in years past, the turnout has been a strong one, and with sunnier skies expected this weekend, Granz is hoping for an even bigger turnout.

“Even when it has been raining,” she said, “we still had a lot of participants come out. They understand it’s for a good cause, and we’re doing everything we can to help the women in the state and in our community.”

Other local organizations, including Brandywine Assisted Living, are helping out and getting involved, too.

The DBCC also offers services for Spanish-speaking women and other minorities.

“We want to reach out to everybody,” DiMondi noted. “It doesn’t matter who you are.”

The DBCC is also available in local Maryland locations. Visit www.debreastcancer.org to find out more.