The North Bay CIBC Run for the Cure celebrated 20 years of supporting breast cancer research in a big way on Sunday.
Standing in the torrential rain, with thunder and lightning, at times a little too close for comfort, volunteers and survivors revealed this year’s event raised $125,335 more than double its goal.
“We are really excited. We were hoping for $60 thousand,” stated Melanie Gainforth, logistics director for the North Bay Run.
Money goes directly to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Despite the poor weather conditions, many supporters kept their commitment to run or walk distances of 1km or 5 km leaving from the Kiwanis bandshell at the waterfront.
Local morning man Kevin Oschefski was recognized for raising a significant portion of the overall total by completing an impressive walk for his wife Josie, his personal inspiration.
“Kevin took on our cause as his own. It has touched his family. He has done some incredible fundraising this year. He walked 129 km from the Sudbury Cancer Treatment Centre to North Bay just this week. He alone has raised about $48 thousand,” stated Gainforth.
One in eight Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Oschefski’s wife Josie is one of those eight.
"He walked not only for Josie but for everyone fighting this disease and those close to them."
“I’m a little sore, but more than anything I feel proud, not of me, but of the community we live in because of how it brought a lot of people together. This started as a gesture for my wife, but I quickly realized there were so many other people going through this battle that it felt like they were part of this journey too, so it became much bigger than I anticipated,” shared Oschefski.
“So, when I crossed the finish line, it was for all the women in our families.”
Men are not immune from breast cancer.
“A good friend of mine, her father passed away from breast cancer and she reached out quite a bit along the journey and said she was rooting for me. So, we have to remember the men too,” Oschefski pointed out.
Rhonda Croghan is also on her own breast cancer journey.
Crogan was scheduled to give her testimonial at the Run, but for the safety of walkers and runners, the formalities were cut short due to the weather conditions.
She did share her story with BayToday, prior to the official speeches.
“It was November of 2021. I found a lump, and my husband and I decided I needed to get it checked. I didn’t have a family doctor at the time, so I went to the hospital. They did two biopsies and a mammogram and four days later I found out I had metastatic breast cancer stage four,” explained Croghan who went on to share where she is today.
“I am feeling food. I have good days and bad days. I am on a chemo pill and a hormone therapy pill for the rest of my life. And then I do scans every four months as I have two cancer spots on my bones. I have it on my sternum and my backbone. So, I just try to take each day, one day at a time, and enjoy my life.”
Croghan was impressed by the many supporters who kept their commitment to run or walk distances of 1km or 5 km leaving from the Kiwanis band shell at the waterfront.
“It means so much because, with cancer dollars for research, it means that they can continue to try and find a cure for other treatments that can help prolong people’s lives. It is just an amazing event to be at,” said Croghan.
Croghan’s complete story will be posted on Facebook in the next few days.
