DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County Cancer Foundation will be setting roots in Delano on October 12 as the first cancer walk will be taking place at Pioneer Elementary School from 8 am to 12 pm.
- The Kern County Cancer Foundation has hosted cancer walks for the past 11 years. But come the weekend , Delano will now host the walk for the very first time.
- Officials with the foundation say the idea behind coming to Delano came directly from the residents. Expressing that there wasn't enough exposure and resources for cancer patients and survivors.
Officials with the foundation say that although this will be their first event here, they’re expecting a bigger turnout than their first Bakersfield walk.
For the past decade, the Kern County Cancer Foundation has hosted cancer walks generating roughly 1500 attendees. People coming from all over the county but on October 12, the foundation will introduce a new location. We’re one week away from Delano’s first ever run walk and one survivor says, this means the world to her.
“I didn’t think that, that I would still be here. So, to be able to — to be able to participate, take part in something this great, means a lot,” said Cancer survivor Rosie Alejo.
Alejo tells me she’s been diagnosed with four different types of cancer. Throughout her journey, she says was constantly asking questions and looking for resources. Until, she was told about the Kern County Cancer Foundation.
“Learning about this program at CBCC for me was a game changer. It was something that I didn’t expect to hear about that it was available at no cost,” said Alejo.
Throughout the years, Executive Director Michelle Avila says, the money raised through past walks have generated to about $4 million. That money, used to pay off the medical bills of cancer patients throughout the county.
But come October 12th, it will be residents of the north who will be befitting.
“We have quite a few patients that we serve in Delano, McFarland, Wasco area, and we will help any individual with up to $50,000 worth of financial assistance to pay for their medical care,” said Avila.
Delano’s first ever run walk will take place at Pioneer Elementary School from 8 am to 12 pm. Aside from the walk, a festival will also be held including resource booths for patients.
The decision to bring the walk to Delano came from the people themselves, people like Alejo who say while there were some resources available it wasn’t enough.
“We have over 200 people who are expecting to already be ready for the event. In addition to that, we have over 30 vendors who have already signed up,” said Avila. “When we started in Bakersfield we actually didn’t have that many people signed up or this many vendors, I think we had like 3 vendors at our very first run walk.”
With popularity still on the rise a week before the event, Avila says this further emphasizes how needed this is for Delano.
As for Alejo, she’s hoping to see more than 200 people supporting the cause and reaching out for assistance.
“Like me, a lot of people aren’t aware that these programs exist and it just takes one person to point you in the right direction,” said Alejo.
All survivors are able to attend free of charge. Participating in the walk is optional, people can still show their support by attending the festival portion of the event.
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