Why we walk: Jim Gibbons 5K Run & 3K walk goes virtual to aid Leukemia Research Foundation
It is estimated that more than 30,000 people in the Chicago area are living with a blood cancer diagnosis.
The Leukemia Research Foundation, a charity headquartered in Northfield, is committed to funding research and providing support to people affected by blood cancers. The foundation is dedicated to conquering all blood cancers by funding research into their causes and cures, and enriching the quality of life of those touched by these diseases.
The Leukemia Research Foundation will be hosting the Virtual ABC 7 Gibbons 5K Run & 3K Walk, presented by First Midwest Bank, Thursday through Sunday, June 18-20.
Participants can run a 5K, walk a 3K, or any combination anytime during the four-day window. Be sure to tag @gibbons5k in your photos and don't forget to use the hashtag #TogetherItIsPossible.
This year's virtual event offers the opportunity to help in the fight to find a cure for blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and MDS.
The registration fee is $26 per person, $50 for a family of up to six. All runners and walkers who register by June 18 will receive a Virtual ABC 7 Gibbons 5K Run and 3K Walk T-shirt.
All proceeds will help fund worldwide medical research and provide local educational and financial assistance programs.
More details, including online registration, how to share your run or walk with others virtually, and how to download a finisher's certificate afterward are available at allbloodcancers.org/gibbons5k/.
Leukemia Research Foundation information is available at allbloodcancers.org or (847) 424-0600.
The Leukemia Research Foundation has helped many suburban residents in their fight against blood cancers in a variety of ways.
Three people — Carol White of Elmhurst, Mary Fuesel of Orland Park and Terrie Erickson of Lake in the Hills — share their stories.
Read them here:
‘We bond for a common cause, experience a common purpose': As an oncology nurse, Carol White of Elmhurst has long been a supporter of the Leukemia Research Foundation and the Jim Gibbons run. After her husband was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2013, she benefited from LRF's services as the loved one of a patient.
‘I had found an additional family for us': Terrie Erickson of Lake in the Hills' life was turned upside down in October 2017 when her son, Declan, was diagnosed with Infant ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) at 9 months old. That's when she turned to LRF.
‘I am not cured, I am in remission:' When Marie Fuesel of Orland Park was first diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in October 2012, she didn't think she would make it to the next Jim Gibbons run in June. But she did — as a “survivor.”
Virtual ABC 7 Gibbons 5K Run & 3K Walk
Who: Sponsored by First Midwest Bank to benefit The Leukemia Research Foundation
When: Thursday, June 18, through Sunday, June 20
Fee: $26 per person, $50 for a family of up to six. All runners and walkers who register by June 18 will receive a T-shirt.
To register or donate: <a href="http://allbloodcancers.org/gibbons5k/">allbloodcancers.org/gibbons5k/</a>