The 2nd Annual Westchester Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk will take place on Sunday, April 10, at Rye Town Park/Oakland Beach and Playland Park in Rye.
Pre-Registration Fee is $50; Walk-In Registration Fee is $60. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m.
One hundred percent of all donations will go directly to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Miss Westchester Teen 2011, Samantha Gold will be participating to raise money.
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Miss Westchester Pageants Press Release:
Local Titleholder to Raise Money and Awareness at Second Annual Westchester Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk.
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The Second Annual Westchester Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk will take place on Sunday, April 10, at Rye Town Park/Oakland Beach and Playland Park, Rye. Among the participants walking to raise money is Miss Westchester Teen 2011, Samantha Gold. All the money raised will be donated to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the country's largest private supporter of pancreatic cancer research, where 100% of every donation goes directly to research.
Gold, 17, of Armonk, is committed to creating awareness and advocacy for pancreatic cancer, as well fundraising to advance research and patient support to help others. A Byram Hills High School senior, Gold lost her grandfather, Leon Gold, also from Armonk, to pancreatic cancer in 2008, just six weeks after he was diagnosed.
“You don’t need a crown and a sash to do good things,” said Gold, “but they [the crown and sash] sure do get a lot of attention. I’m so grateful to be able to focus that attention on a cause so near to my heart.”
The annual event is organized by Tara and Steve Hernandez in memory of Gigi Shanes-Hernandez who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in 2009. A lifelong Rye resident, Gigi dedicated more than half her life caring and advocating for children and adults with disabilities in Westchester County and Greenwich, CT.
“Working on the Walk committee with Tara and Steve has been so rewarding in many ways,” said Gold. “For them to take the grief of their loss and turn it into this event to help others is just amazing to me.”
According to Walk organizer Tara Shanes-Hernandez, more than 500 people are expected to participate in the event. “Family members and friends will walk in the hopes of raising funds and spirits and increasing awareness of pancreatic cancer – the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States,” said Shanes-Hernandez. “Our goal is to raise $200,000 this year.” The Westchester event is part of a series of walks hosted by The Lustgarten Foundation, with other events taking place throughout the year in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston.
“It takes a lot of people to put on a fundraising event this big,” said Gold. “We are looking for volunteers for set up, registration, water stations, making and passing out food and drinks, cheering committee, route marshals, entertainment such as performing groups and magicians, face painting and other activities for kids, clean up and more.”
Shanes-Hernandez added, "If a school group, Girl Scout troop, Cub Scout troop, place of worship, company or other organization would like to volunteer on the day of the event or before the event for publicity and fundraising, they can contact Suzanne Beck at 516-803-2913 or email SBeck@cablevision.com. They can also visit the website at www.lustgarten.org."
“And one more thing,” said Gold with a smile, “everyone should cross their fingers for good weather!”
About The Lustgarten Foundation The Lustgarten Foundation is the nation’s largest private supporter of pancreatic cancer research. Founded in 1998, the organization was named after Cablevision executive Marc Lustgarten, who died from the disease. The Lustgarten Foundation is dedicated to advancing the scientific and medical research related to pancreatic cancer, the nation’s fourth leading cause of cancer deaths. The Lustgarten Foundation concentrates on stimulating the scientific community to conduct the research necessary to find early detection methods, better treatments and a cure for this disease. Toward this end, The Lustgarten Foundation has provided more than $38 million in support of promising pancreatic cancer research. The Foundation also provides free, accurate and up-to-date information to patients and caregivers. Learn more at www.lustgarten.org.
About Miss Westchester Pageants The Miss Westchester Pageants place an emphasis on excellence, achievement and personal growth for the young women who participate in our program. We encourage contestants to develop self-awareness as well as social awareness by striving to be the best in everything that they do. All of the participants in our pageants receive training in public speaking, interview techniques, marketing and business etiquette -- all very valuable skills to help them through their college applications and job interviews. Our goal is to help them to become winners in life through participation in the pageant experience. The Miss Westchester Pageants’ tagline is, “Smart. Beautiful. You!” because we believe who you are on the inside, shines on the outside. The Miss Westchester Pageants, Miss Westchester and Miss Westchester Teen, are exclusively owned and produced by New York Crown Productions, LLC. The Miss Westchester Pageants Executive Directors are Dee van Eyck and Laura Giannone, Official Recruiters for MISS NEW YORK USA® and MISS NEW YORK TEEN USA®, a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint partnership.
Contact: Dee van Eyck, Miss Westchester Pageants, westchestercrown@aol.com, 914-834-3550
