OP_102419

4 | October 24, 2019 | the orland Park Prairie news
OPPrairiedaily.com
Centennial Park welcomes 1,200 to support cause
7
Amanda Del Buono
Freelance Reporter
At last year’s South
Suburban Making Strides
Against Breast Cancer
Walk, the American Cancer
Society brought together
more than 1,000 people
and raised $172,000 to
support research and its
free programs for breast
cancer patients.
This year, it upped the
ante with more than 1,200
participants walking with a
goal to raise $174,000.
Orland Park has hosted
the annual fundraising
walk for the south suburbs
since it began in 2007.
This year, the event took
place on Oct. 13 at Centennial
Park’s parking
lot, which was filled with
sponsor booths, a DJ booth
and dance area, and activities
for children.
“The Village of Orland
Park is fantastic about supporting
us,” said Karen
Bruck, community support
coordinator for the ACS
North Central Region.
“They’re very generous to
us, and I would not move
the event from this location.”
The 5K walk has become
one of the ACS’
most important fundraisers,
next to the Relay for
Life, she added.
While the fundraising
is important, another
core goal of the event
is to build a community
of support and to spread
awareness and education.
Kenyatta Huddleston, a
Bolingbrook resident and
breast cancer survivor,
said that events like this
are quite impactful for
more than just building
awareness in the community
and raising funds to
support programs.
“When I was diagnosed,
we did the Why Me walk,”
she said. “It’s no longer
around, but it was very
emotional for me. When
you’re going through that,
sometimes you think,
‘I’m the only one.’ And
when I got there, there
were thousands of people
going through the same
thing, and I knew I wasn’t
alone.”
Now a decade cancerfree,
Huddleston regularly
participates in walks to
support organizations like
the ACS and other cancer
patients.
“I hope I make a difference
to someone else,” she
said.
Long-time ACS volunteer
Peter Monreal, of
Hickory Hills, said that he
became involved because
of the community built
around the cause, despite
his lack of personal connection
with breast cancer.
“Research is important,
but cancer survivors
and their families have so
much more to worry about,
too, in this journey they’re
on,” he said. “We see a
lot of people come right
when they’re diagnosed,
and it’s the beacon of
hope they need. ... It gives
them hope to see someone
here celebrating 20 years
cancer-free. ... Yes, raising
money is important,
but also bringing the community
together, making
them aware, and building
a community of support so
no one has to face it alone
is also so important.”
One core group within
the South Suburban Making
Strides 5K Walk community
is Turning Pointe
Dance Company, which
has locations in Lockport
and New Lenox, and has
organized a group of dancers
to perform at the event
and their families to participate
in the walk for the
past 10 years.
Owners Gina Miranda
and Deartra Cappos said
that many of their students
and their families
have been impacted in
some way by cancer, so
Participants (left to right) Deloris Coleman, Terri Rogers-Mullin, Brenda Atkins-
McGaha, Suzanne Guice and Estelle Remmer pose for a photo Oct. 13 at the South
Suburban Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk held at Centennial Park.
Julie McMann/22nd Century Media
they wanted to find a way
to support the cause in the
community.
“Obviously, the kids
love it,” Cappos said, noting
the group of 92 dancers
cheering on the sidelines
as their parents and
other participants crossed
the finish line.
Miranda added, “It’s local
enough to us that it’s a
nice way to give back.”
Lemont’s Julie Mescher
was among the Turning
Pointe Dance parents to
participate in Sunday’s
walk. Mescher has participated
for several years
with the group.
“The moms, we walk
because everyone in our
group has someone who’s
been impacted by cancer,”
she said.
Others came to directly
support a family member
diagnosed with cancer.
Asmaa Qabalawi, of Tinley
Park, said she does not
participate in any other
run/walks but is compelled
by her support for her aunt.
“My aunt had breast
cancer,” Qabalawi said.
“She’s recovered, but we
come every year.”
She added that after attending
the event for the
past four years, she has
learned a lot about what
her aunt went through.
The next two Making
Strides walks are to
take place Oct. 19 at Soldier
Field in Chicago and
at Hodges Park in Park
Ridge.
Orland Township shred, electronic recycling event slated for Oct. 26
Submitted by Orland
Township
Orland Township is to
host a free shredding and
electronic recycling event
for Township residents
who want to safely dispose
of unwanted personal documents
and rid themselves
of old electronics.
ProShred trucks will
be on-site, and all paper
shredding will be free.
Residents are limited to
five banker boxes of shredding.
This event is not intended
for businesses.
Electronic recycling
will be accepted at the
event. Coupons must be
purchased for all televisions
and computer monitors.
Computer monitors
and televisions should
be measured diagonally:
those that are smaller than
21 inches are $25; those
that are 21 inches and
larger are $35. Coupons
can be pre-purchased at
recycle.eworksesi.org or
at the event by credit card
only.
The Orland Township
Shred and Electronic Recycling
Event is to take
place from 8 a.m.-noon
Saturday, Oct. 26, at the
Orland Township Highway
Department, 16125 S.
Wolf Road in Orland Park.
The event is for Orland
Township residents only,
and residents are asked to
bring identification.
For more information,
including a list of accepted
items, visit the Township’s
website, orlandtown
ship.org/electronics-re
cycling-2 or contact the
Highway Department at
(708) 403-5148.