The first annual Trek for Cancer snowshoeing event, held in the winter of 2016, attracted about 50 participants and raised around $10,000 for stomach cancer initiatives through the Northern Cancer Foundation.
The event is back for a second year March 5, and Northern Cancer Foundation executive director Tannys Laughren said she hopes it'll attract even more participation this year.
There's a couple of differences with this year's event.
In 2016, Trek for Cancer was held at the Walden Cross-Country Fitness Club, a well-established sports facility in Naughton.
For this year, the Northern Cancer Foundation decided to move it to the recently established Kivi Park, a South End park that features snowshoe, skiing and fat-biking trails.
“Walden is beautiful,” Laughren said, speaking at a Jan. 19 press conference at Kivi Park, where details of the upcoming event were revealed.
“We had no problems there. But we wanted to bring this event to this park that everybody's part of, that everybody's visiting, that everybody loves.
“We thought it would be a great partnership for the first year of operation of Kivi Park.”
While Trek for Cancer focused on stomach cancer initiatives last year, for its second year, donors can earmark money they raise for any Northern Cancer Foundation fund, supporting initiatives including patient care, equipment and research.
“Anybody who's donating can decide where they want their money to go,” Laughren said.
Melissa Sheridan, who's overseen the development of Kivi Park, said she's touched the Northern Cancer Foundation decided to move the event to the park.
“We jumped on board right away,” she said.
“We want to get people out, and we really believe in the cause. This is the prime example of how working together as a team to tackle these important issues, we can make a different in these causes, which are near and dear to everyone.”
The event will involve four different distances – 1 km, 3 km, 5.5 km and 7 km. The registration fee is $35. Participants are encouraged to raise funds by collecting pledges.
Children aged 12 and under can take part for free. There will be a kids' area for children. For more information, and to register, visit www.ncfsudbury.com or phone 705-523-4673 (HOPE).
