Perfect weather

Not too hot, not too cold, no rain.  It was delightful for this year's Bridge Walk, and it turned out to be a wonderful stroll along the Fabyan pathways accompanied by hundreds of our friends.

And They Are Off!

And the walkers passed through the balloon rainbow to begin the walk.  While a majority of walkers wore one or another of the official Bridge Walk tee shirts, the creativity and humor of others was truly evident.

Grand Marshall

The latest in my series of magazine covers . . . the entire mag is this cover, of course . . . features Grand Marshall Regina Mazzuca in triumph, leading the walkers in the LivingWell Cancer Resource Center's annual Bridge Walk.  Arms high, she was inspirational and very photogenic!

Fun and Funding!

A great time was had by all on the 7th Annual Bridge Walk to support LivingWell Cancer Resource Center.  Perhaps the best time was had by those walking across the finish line to the news that nearly a quarter-million dollars had been raised Saturday morning.  The clowns packed up to head home with well-deserved smiles!

HOLIDAY CARD

For the second year, a holiday card with warm Merry Christmas wishes, intended for my friends at LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva. Cancer fighters everywhere, a joyous Christmas and the wish to keep up the fight until the disease is defeated!

POSTER POEM

This week, following the LivingWell Cancer Resource Center Bridge Walk, I had a port flush at my oncologist's office. I had just received notification that the staff was relocating to new offices, and I just had to match a bridge photo with this new poem about feelings of patients . . . including me!

LivingWell Magazine Covers

Our last post from last week's Bridge Walk are the two souvenir magazine covers I made up for Darcy Ringhofer, the walk's Grand Marshall, and Manuela Bender, a cancer survivor who traveled the furthest to walk, bringing her husband Danijel all the way from Frankfort, Germany. From the smiles on their faces, our two cover personalities were truly enjoying the day.

Headgear

The Bridge Walk took place under cool gray skies so many walkers had headgear that would make a queen proud. Caps, balloons, earmuffs, baseball hats . . . . and flamingos.

Great Tees

This year's Bridge Walk tees were lime green for survivors, so those naturally win the unofficial prize for "Best Tee." Lots of alternative colors also walked, such as the orange for staff and volunteers, the blue for supporters, family and friends, and the "Chemo Sucks" tees seen here, with the wonderful quip on the back. Yay, Chemo!

Long Distance Success

Two more images from the Bridge Walk include a sign at the end of the walk, showing the success of the fund-raising drive to date, and a shot of the duo who traveled the furthest to walk and to contribute to the success of the event.

Manuela Bender (left) became Internet friends with Rada Popovic (center) when Manuela was fighting cancer a few years ago. Rada was supporting her daughter, who lost her battle to cancer shortly thereafter. The friendship has continued, and Manuela and her husband Danijel (right) planned a visit to the United States from their home in Germany. The centerpiece of the plan was joining the walk. The support from people who live so far away was welcome and appreciated!

More Color at the Walk

This look at color at the Bridge Walk starts with a cancer survivor, clearly seen by the green tee shirt and highlighted with stunning red hair. And what look at color could omit the Color Guard, provided by the Geneva Fire Dept.? Especially when the Guard is flanked by a tower of balloons!

Color at the Walk

A gray Saturday morning was filled with color along the Fox River in Geneva as walkers and supporters turned out to raise money for LivingWell Cancer Resource Center. Here we see Cool Beanz the Clown and one of several St. Charles East High School students, turned out bright in orange and purple, adding to to the fun.

Bridge Walk

Today is the date of the sixth annual Bridge Walk in support of LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva. I will be out shooting photographs, of course, but perhaps I will also be thinking about a future poem or two. This one was written after last year's walk.

SUNDAY POSTER

My Easter Card for LivingWell Cancer Resource Center.

SUNDAY POEM

My Valentine's Card, written and composed for all my Band of Brothers and Sisters: those who fight cancer, who have survived cancer, who have healed and helped and assisted those with cancer. One in a series of cards developed for LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva, a wonderful organization in support of all of us.

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

This poem is my expression of thanks for the gifts I enjoy, and it was written for LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva, Illinois. It is my hope that it expresses the emotional aspect of the fight against cancer. May you have a most blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

Crossing the Fox

Our last look at the Bridge Walk in support of Living Well Cancer Resource Center in Geneva shows walkers crossing the Fox River in Batavia on the bridge with the timbers crossing overhead, and walkers on the arcing bridge coming back at the end of the walk. Along the way, walkers found many supporters, including this young ballplayer who was handing out water.

The annual walk raised more than $230,000 for the center, and I will be pleased to join the walkers again in 2011. Call the Center if you would like to participate in the next walk or in other activities to assist cancer patients and survivors.

Two Relentless Walkers

The fight against cancer takes effort, relentless effort, day in and day out. Here we see a walker, not in one of the tee shirts but in a team sweat with the appropriate nickname on the back. In the other view, one of the survivors, who finished the walk proudly telling me she was the last survivor walking.

A great day for relentless people!

Yellow Shirts

We established in the prior post that lavender shirts were worn by survivors; we had seen the aqua shirts worn by supporters in an earlier post. The yellow shirts were worn by event staff from Living Well, including those seen here with the magic figure (donations nearly a quarter million dollars) and reacting to the great news.

Lavender Shirts

As the Bridge Walk began, nearly everyone at the front of the line was attired in a lavender tee shirt. That color was reserved for survivors of cancer, and we began the walk to the sound of We Are The Champions. The lyrics "we'll keep on fighting till the end . . . I ain't gonna lose" never sounded so powerful or poignant to me.