In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, men, women, and children around Connecticut will support kids and families battling childhood cancer by participating in the annual St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer. Stamford will host Connecticut’s signature event in Mill River Park. CULTEC, a family-owned and operated stormwater management product manufacturer based in Brookfield, Conn., will sponsor the event for the eighth consecutive year.
Registration for the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer is $10 for adults and children ages six and up. Children five and under are free. Participants are encouraged to form teams and raise money to help support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude, with incentives beginning at the $100 and $250 fundraising levels. So far, CULTEC has raised about 90 percent of its goal.
The St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer will take place on Saturday, September 22. The event will kick off in Mill River Park, 1055 Washington Blvd. Nationwide, all the walks raised over $10 million through the walk program in 2017. The Connecticut walk raised $125,612.51 in 2017. 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to St. Jude.
“We enjoy sponsoring the St. Jude Walk each year,” said Lisa Lynch, TEAM CULTEC Captain and CULTEC Customer Service Representative. “CULTEC is a close-knit family, and we know the importance of leaning on each other for support when life throws us difficult challenges. St. Jude provides that same support to all of its children and their families – at no cost to them – and any way we can raise money to support that mission gives us immense pride. It is the least we can do to give back to a cause that does so much for others and asks nothing in return.”
St. Jude has transformed how the world understands and treats childhood cancer. Headquartered in Memphis,Tenn., the St. Jude organization is the only National Cancer Institute Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago.
Throughout Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, St. Jude will magnify its efforts to raise awareness that sustains its mission: to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. About 7,500 patients are seen at St. Jude annually, most of whom are treated on a continuing outpatient basis and are part of ongoing research programs. St. Jude is proud to maintain that no child will be denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.
In addition to St. Jude, CULTEC supports various other charities and non-profit organizations including, Vanishing White Matter Families Foundation, Toys for Tots, Operation E.L.F., The Joey Awlasewicz Scholarship Fund and H.O.R.S.E. of CT.