Hundreds support cancer fight in Elgin

With tears in her eyes, Joyce Collins talked about the brave battle her late husband, Ray Collins, put up against pancreatic cancer before succumbing to the disease last year.

“I have mixed emotions,” Collins said Saturday morning while walking in the American Cancer Society’s Walk & Roll in downtown Elgin. “I feel like I am honoring him with our efforts to fight this disease.”

Collins, of Elgin, and a dozen or so family friends were among those who walked five miles, mostly along the Fox River, as part of the annual event staged at Festival Park. Altogether, more than 400 people participated in the event, which also included a 10-mile inline skate and a 15-mile bike ride.

This was the fourth annual Walk & Roll in Elgin, which started in Chicago 40 years ago, said Maggie Kluck, a representative of the ACS office in Batavia.

“It gives people a sense of empowerment, like they are fighting back against the disease and doing things that supports efforts that one day will eventually cure cancer,” Kluck said.

“Team Ashley” included about 25 relatives and friends of 12-year-old Ashley Garza of Bensenville, who was diagnosed with spinal cord cancer in January.

Her mother, Concha Garza, talked about the day’s emotions while walking next to her husband, John Garza, who pushed Ashley in her wheelchair. “I was crying watching all the groups walk by. It’s just amazing,” Concha Garza said.

As of Saturday morning, the event had raised more than $65,000 in donations, including sponsorships from Sherman Hospital, Provena St. Joseph Hospital and John B. Sanfilippo & Son, all in Elgin, Kluck said.

The proceeds are used to support ACS programs such as the patient resource center at Sherman Hospital, which offers free wigs, free rides to cancer treatments, and “Look Good, Feel Better” sessions, Kluck said.

For more information, visit cancer.org or contact Kluck at (630) 879-9009 or maggie.kluck@cancer.org.