Walk for Wellness House set for May 1 in Hinsdale

The annual Walk for Wellness House 3K Walk/5K Run will take place on Sunday, May 1, bringing together cancer survivors, families, friends, and volunteers together and in-person for the first time in two years at the main location in Hinsdale.

The theme of this year's walk is "#WelcomeHome," as Wellness House is welcoming community members back for a full-scale event, while also transitioning to more in-person programs for people affected by cancer. In 2019, they had more than 3,000 people sign up for the walk.

This year, Wellness House calls on longtime supporters Molly Haunty and Gina Pongetti Angeletti, both members of Wellness House's board of directors, to lead the charge and inspire the community to support the Walk for Wellness House.

Pongetti Angeletti's family utilized Wellness House when her father was diagnosed with cancer, and she recently encouraged her friend and colleague Craig Kruse, to get involved with Wellness House after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Kruse and his family now regularly attend programming at Wellness House, and he has also joined the walk committee to energize others to join the annual fundraiser.

"For cancer patients, the walk offers energy, community and hope. Being present with thousands of people offering their support, feeling the sense of community from both family and strangers, and the overwhelming presence of hope is unmatched," Pongetti Angeletti said. "The walk helps to provide thousands of programs, group meetings, individual life-changing sessions and is a vehicle for prospering and living a life to its fullest alongside a difficult cancer diagnosis."

An inspirational program begins at 8 a.m. and the walk at 8:30 a.m. with a timed run to follow.

The walk will take place along a route on the streets around Hinsdale or participants can choose to "Walk Your Way" at a time and place that works best for them. Anyone interested in joining the walk can register as an individual or a team at wellnesshouse.org/events/.

Over 31 years ago, a group of people came together because they saw, firsthand, the impact of cancer on their family and friends. Out of concern and determination, Wellness House was born to lighten cancer's burden through programs that prepare and empower people to fully live life with cancer and beyond. For information, call (630) 323-5150, email information@wellnesshouse.org, or visit wellnesshouse.org. For Spanish speakers, call (630) 654-5529 or email informacion@wellnesshouse.org.