Cancer Walk Brings 4,000 People To Grant Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than 4,000 people took part in a cancer survivors' celebration at Grant Park on Sunday.
The annual event is organized by Lurie Cancer Center and features a 5K run and a non-competitive walk along the lakefront.
The goal is to celebrate anyone who has survived or knows someone who has survived a battle with cancer.
"The walk brings attention to all cancers, and to survivors, and to those of us that continue the fight," said Jeff Samuels, a leukemia survivor who walked with his family.
He said everyone is a cancer survivor in one way or another.
"Every one of us is affected by cancer. We're either someone that has fought it, or beat it, or we know someone, or had a relative that fought cancer.
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Dr. Tim Pearman, director of supportive oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, said there are more than 14 million cancer survivors in the U.S.
"I think events like this highlight the amazing advances in cancer treatment, and also just how important it is to support cancer survivors," he said.
The Cancer Survivors' Celebration Walk & 5K is considered one of the largest in the U.S. The event also features a bone marrow match registration station, and while cancer survivors are not eligible to donate, friends and family who have seen what they go through can sign up to see if they match with someone in need.
