Local Residents Walk to Support Pediatric Cancer Awareness
BLOOMFIELD, NJ – Hundreds of local residents – from children to senior citizens – gathered together as one on Sunday, September 30 as Oakeside Cultural Center hosted their Third Annual Pediatric Cancer Awareness “Go Gold” Walk.
All net profits from the event, highlighted by a three-mile morning walk through Bloomfield, were donated to a team in the Cycle for Survival Event. The team, Megan’s Miracle Makers, is in memory of Megan Macaluso, a Bloomfield teenager who passed away at age 19 due to pediatric cancer.
“Mary Ann Macaluso and my children went to school together and her daughter, Megan, was diagnosed with cancer – she fought for three years and passed away at age 19,” said Kim Reilly, Executive Director of Oakeside Cultural Center. “It was a couple years after she was gone that it occurred to me that nobody really knows about pediatric cancer. So, I came up with the idea of having a walk, and with Mary Ann’s permission it became a reality.”
With September being Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, Oakeside closed out the month by educating the community about the disease while raising much-needed funds for cutting-edge, life-saving research.
“Megan passed away five years ago, and this year marks our third walk,” Reilly said. “We go out around town and get sponsorship from local businesses to help support the event.”
In addition to walk registration fees, funds were also raised with the sale of key chains and bracelets.
Student-athletes from Bloomfield High School were well represented as Fall sports teams participated in the walk, including boys and girls soccer teams, boys and girls track and cross-country squads, girls volleyball and cheerleading.
“One of our younger volunteers went to the captains of all the high school teams and they gathered their fellow players and they all showed up to support the walk – it’s really great,” added Reilly.
Councilwoman-At-Large Nina Davis and Councilman-At-Large Ted Gamble were also on hand and joined in the walk. Members of Nutley’s Relay For Life, a fundraising group within American Cancer Society, also took part in the walk to help fight in the battle against pediatric cancer.