May 13 virtual event raised funds for Cancer LifeNet and its vital supportive care services
With a forecast of steady and consistent rain, the 10th Annual Amanda Hichkad CCA Celebration Walk went virtual on May 13 and raised $110,000 (and counting!) for Cancer LifeNet.
This annual event, held in good weather along the perimeter of the turf fields at The John Carroll School in Bel Air, brings the community together to honor, celebrate and remember loved ones, friends and neighbors who are impacted by cancer.
Organizers decided to turn the outdoor event into a virtual one to ensure the safety of patients, participants, volunteers and supporters. Participants and donors were encouraged to join the walk virtually, at a time convenient for them, to honor, remember and celebrate their loved ones.
“This walk, whether virtual or in person, truly defines friends and neighbors helping friends and neighbors,” said Elizabeth Wise, FACHE, MSN, MBA, President and Chief Executive of Officer of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. “I am in awe of our grateful patients and families, cancer survivors and those currently undergoing treatment who choose to give back to help others. We thank them and honor their strength.”
Klein’s ShopRite, the walk’s longtime Presenting Sponsor, hosted an in-store fundraiser at all six of their Harford County Klein’s ShopRite locations. Nearly $6,500 was raised by more than 4,100 customers who were invited to “round up” at the check-out counter in support of Cancer LifeNet and the 10th Annual Amanda Hichkad CCA Celebration Walk.
The funds raised by the walk are used for Cancer LifeNet, which provides supportive care services to residents of Harford and Cecil counties, regardless of where cancer treatment is received. The program’s $1 million annual operating budget is funded solely through philanthropic support.
Over the past year, more than 2,000 people have benefited from the various programs and services provided by Cancer LifeNet, which is located at the Kaufman Cancer Center at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. The services are designed to help patients and their loved ones find the resources needed to balance work, family and cancer treatment. Nurse navigators, social workers and other specialists work alongside people diagnosed with cancer and their families to create a safe and nurturing environment and help them with each stage of their cancer care.
Since Cancer LifeNet’s founding 17 years, more than 20,000 cancer patients and family members have used the more than 300 free-of-charge services.
In addition to the 10th anniversary of the walk in 2023, it’s also the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Kaufman Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air and the 20th anniversary of the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance, which partnered with The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation in 2014 to establish the walk fundraiser. In 2022, the walk crossed the $1 million cumulative total raised for Cancer LifeNet since the founding.
It’s not too late to make a donation to support Cancer LifeNet through this fundraising effort. Donations are still being accepted at uchfoundation.org.
About University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, part of the University of Maryland Medical System, includes the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and the Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center on its Bel Air campus. Most recently, it opened The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center in Bel Air offering services for behavioral health. The Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill is an assisted living facility that specializes in hospice. The University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital has been operating in the community for over a century and is located in Havre de Grace. The leading health care system and the second largest private employer in Harford County, UM Upper Chesapeake Health offers a broad range of health care services, specialty care, technology and facilities to the residents of northeastern Maryland. Visit www.umms.org/uch for more information.
