Steps to Remember: Park District Hosts A Walk for Awareness

By Julie Eakins, Wheaton Park District

Barbara Cooper was fifty years old and the mother of five when breast cancer ended her life.

Her daughter, Terra Johnson, remembers, “Mom had a great love of the outdoors.”

There’s a path through the mind connecting a loved-one’s death to grief. Sometimes another path can be found, usually a bit further up the road, connecting the memory of a loved-one to something sweeter.

Terra’s path wanders through Wheaton’s Lincoln Marsh.

“After my Mom died, my family and I joined one of Chicago’s breast cancer walks. It was a way to be part of something bigger, with people who understood what you’ve gone through.”

A generation ago breast cancer was spoken of behind closed doors. Public fund-raising walks helped break down the shame and secrecy surrounding a frighteningly common disease.  In addition to raising research money, these events helped provide education about risks and healthy choices.

“The big walks are great,” remembers Terra, Program Manager for the . “But I really wanted to do something closer to home, something that touched our community.”

Breast cancer has certainly touched DuPage County. In fact, DuPage is consistently in the top quarter of county cancer rates in the state and nearly ten percent higher than the overall state average (based on figures from the Department of Public Health for the State of Illinois and the American Cancer Society).

No one has conclusively determined why this is true, despite the fact that the higher incidence rate has been noted for decades. One possible explanation is that the county population skews toward educated, working women who tend to delay childbearing.  

According to Joy Rosenberg, the Regional Director of Health Initiatives for the American Cancer Society, “We’ve initiated three huge population studies since the 80’s. Our ‘Cancer Prevention Study 2’ definitely indicates that delayed childbearing has an impact on a woman’s risk for developing cancer.”

But Rosenberg believes the study’s other findings are more important, particularly for the women of DuPage. “You can’t control the statistics of a group. The only one you have control over is you. The Cancer Prevention Study made clear there are several things you can do to short circuit the triggers for breast cancer. The first thing is get screened.”

According to the American Cancer Society, DuPage has a history of low mammography rates, despite being a community with relatively high numbers of educated and insured women.

“DuPage has recently improved in this area, which is great because regular mammograms help find problems early,” Rosenberg said. “Women also need to eat healthy—fruits and veggies—and get regular exercise. Getting a quick walk, most days of the week, substantially reduces the risk of all kinds of cancer.”

Terra Johnson believes in the benefits of walking. “Walking in an outdoor setting means so much to my family because of my mom. And Lincoln Marsh has a terrific two mile trail, through all this natural beauty."

That’s why she arranged to honor her mother with a walk through Wheaton Park District’s Lincoln Marsh, 146 acres of prairie, wetland and woodland.

“When Terra asked, the park district didn’t hesitate. We wanted to help and we knew there’d be support in our community,” said Donna Sicilano, Assistant to the Executive Director for the Wheaton Park District, whose grandmother and aunt were both touched by the disease.

The first Walk for Awareness was held on a cold, rainy day in 2008. Fifty people came out that day, despite the weather. Last year, over two hundred joined the walk. The $6,500 raised over the last four years has been donated to the Breast Health Center at .

Downtown Wheaton joined in as a sponsor last year. “When it comes to breast cancer, everybody knows someone who’s been affected,” said Max Williams, Manager of the . “Everyone wants to help.”

This year, the Park District has arranged an entire week of events connected to breast cancer awareness. ‘Pink Week’ runs October 1st through the 6th.

“Every one of the Wheaton Park District facilities is doing something special,” says Sicilano. “Parks Plus Fitness Center is doing a Zumbathon. The Community Center is raffling off a limited edition pink recycling can. And you can have your choice of pink ribbon logo golf balls or pink martinis at Arrowhead.” Some of it may seem silly. “But this isn’t only about raising money. It’s about raising awareness. We need to let people know—about risks, about healthy choices and about how to help.”

‘Pretty in Pink,’ a night of shopping and dining in downtown Wheaton, will conclude the ‘Pink Week’ festivities on Thursday, October 6th from 6-9 pm. Ten percent of sales from over thirty participating businesses will be donated to the Susan G. Komen fund.

“When you can have fun, come out for your community and benefit a great cause—that’s a perfect night,” said Williams. “Last year, we raised almost two thousand dollars.”

The Walk for Awareness kicks off Wheaton Park District’s ‘Pink Week’ at the Lincoln Marsh Natural Area on Saturday October 1st. Check in at 8:30; the walk begins at 9:30 am.

Terra Johnson will be there, but she won’t be alone. “It’s a great morning. My whole family comes out…along with a couple hundred friends and neighbors.”

She smiles at the memory.

For more information on the October 1 Lincoln Marsh Walk for Awareness, or any of the Pink Week Activities, go to www.wheatonparkdistrict.com

For more on Pretty in Pink Night, visit Downtown Wheaton Association’s website at www.downtownwheaton.com