Anniversary Celebration at North Shore Cancer WALK

This past Sunday, over 5,000 people convened at Salem Willows Park for the 24th Annual North Shore Cancer WALK, the single largest fundraising event on the North Shore.

For Peabody resident Barbara Copp, the event was a particularly meaningful one. Each year, her extended family gets together to walk the 6.2 mile course to honor loved ones who have battled cancer. This year, Barbara walked in memory of long-time friend Jim Geanoulis, who was a beloved educator in Peabody for 35 years until he lost his fight in 2012. She also paid tribute to her father, who was successfully treated for throat cancer at the North Shore Medical Center’s oncology unit at Salem Hospital and the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers.

This year, the WALK was also a very special day for the Copp family. WALK day marked the anniversary of Barbara’s niece, Christine, and her husband Sven, who had been married at the WALK several years ago. The family had a big anniversary party at the Salem Willows after the WALK to celebrate Christine and Sven, as well as to spend time honoring all in their lives who have been impacted by cancer. “I’m so proud of my niece,” Barbara says. “Most brides want a big fancy wedding, but Christine knew she wanted to honor our family members who we’ve lost to cancer for her wedding. She got married up on the stage at the WALK in her dress, then took it off to reveal her shorts and shirt underneath and set out on the WALK route! It was something none of us will ever forget.

“We started walking years ago after my brother-in-law, Richard Copp, passed away after battling cancer,” Barbara added. “Our team, ‘Copps Against Cancer,’ was a way for us to honor him. His death affected us so much at the time. The North Shore Cancer WALK is such a beautiful walk route, and Salem Willows is such a peaceful place to be. We love that the WALK is so family-friendly. The grandkids never got to meet their Grandpa but the walk helps us all stay together.”

Last year, Christine’s husband lost his mother to cancer. “It was so devastating, because it was so quick,” Barbara says. “But we all realized very fast that our family all pulls together in times like that. We know we all need to keep walking to raise money and to honor people we’ve lost.”

The 24th Annual North Shore Cancer WALK was held on Sunday, June 22, 2014 at Salem Willows Park starting at 8:00 am. The WALK is a 6.2 mile route from Salem Willows Park to Salem State College. Entertainment, volunteers, and water stations are found throughout the WALK course, making it an entertaining and meaningful day.

Money raised from the WALK will support the construction of the new inpatient oncology unit at North Shore Medical Center as well as wellness services and support programs at the Mass General / North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers.

More information can be found at www.northshorecancerwalk.org.