The New York Tumor community will come together on September 30 for a 5K Walk to raise awareness and funds to support the needs of patients with brain tumors and their families.
Registration opens in the morning at 7:30 a.m. Participants will be able to register on-site if they are not registered previously. A remembrance ceremony for members of the community who have passed will be held at 8:30 a.m. It is an intimate ceremony, and there will be plenty of signage on site to direct those who wish to attend it. Following, there will be an opening ceremony at the main stage featuring a sponsor speaker, a survivor speaker, as well as members of the National Brain Tumor Society team who will talk about progress updates in research and treatment. The 5k walk will follow at 9:30 a.m.
The New York Walk, formerly the Long Island Brain Tumor Walk, first took place in 2015 at Jones Beach with the help of a committed group of volunteers. Many of those volunteers are still involved today as we convene members of the brain tumor community from the entire tri-state area. Since its inception, the event has raised just over $1.3M, with a goal of raising an additional $230K this year. Dollars raised will support the National Brain Tumor Society’s mission of ultimately finding a cure for patients living with a brain tumor, while supporting them throughout their diagnosis by providing information, support and resources. This event would not be possible without the support of the brain tumor community, their friends and family and the local businesses support them.
“This is a true community effort. We had a staff person at the time who was living on Long Island who had a vision for bringing the community together… A volunteer group — a handful of people — have been instrumental in making this event successful,” says Ashley Brennan, Vice President of Development of the National Brain Tumor Society. “There’s a core group who have each been impacted in different ways. We have survivors, we have caregivers involved, and they are among our most dedicated volunteers… This event would not happen without them.”
The walk is family-friendly, and designed for anyone and everyone to join. Aside from a source of fundraising, it is also a chance for the community to come together. “Brain tumors are one of those diseases that oftentimes don’t get talked about until you’re impacted. But it is one of those diseases that needs a ton of attention,” says Brennan. “We need to be talking about it, we need better treatment options, we need better funding for research, and the only way that’s going to happen is if people come out, if they show up to support the cause, and the Brain Tumor walk is a really great way to do that.”
To join the National Brain Tumor Society on September 30, or to find out more information, visit BrainTumor.org/NewYork.
—Additional information provided by Ashley Brennan and the National Brain Tumor Society
