“(Some people) are grieving, but when you come here, you see how many people lived and you see how many people supported the ones who were going through it,” she said. “It shows that you’re not alone.”
Verdell Winn attended her first walk Saturday after beating breast cancer one year ago.
“It’s so exciting to be here and it’s amazing to see so many people and survivors coming together,” she said.
Winn moved to the area from Michigan at the end of 2020. Just nine months later, she received her diagnosis of Stage 2 breast cancer following a routine mammogram at age 59.
“I had no symptoms, no nothing,” she said. “It was because of that screening that they found it.”
Winn credits the preventative screening for allowing doctors to find the cancer early enough to receive adequate treatment. She is now in remission and undergoes screenings every six months.
Winn encourages women to keep up with routine mammograms. “Don’t put it off,” she said. “If you find it early, doctors can take care of it and you can live your life.”
Breast cancer awareness walks give survivors like Winn a chance to reflect on their journey, said Lenora Oeters, executive director of the American Cancer Society’s north central region.
“This event allows people to celebrate, remember, and fight back,” Oeters said. “Whether they’re remembering a loved one they’ve lost, or celebrating a loved one’s or their own survivorship, it allows everybody to fight back against breast cancer.”
Saturday’s walk was free to attend, but there is also a fundraising goal of $250,000 to go toward the American Cancer Society’s efforts to fund research and support patients and their families with services like transportation to treatment, as well as emotional support.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two previous Making Strides walks were held throughout multiple Dayton parks, as opposed to allocating a central location for participants to start and finish.
“We’re really excited to return to Day Air Ballpark this year and we’ve had a great number of community members come out today,” said Oeters, who noted attendance Saturday reached around 10,000 participants.
About the Author