Inaugural event surpasses fundraising goal with flying colours
On Sun, Sept. 11, 2016, Guelph hosted its first ever Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope. The event, which was hosted at the University of Guelph Arboretum, turned up outstanding results in its first year.
The walk was organized by ovarian cancer survivor Frances Vanover and Guelph professor Jim Petrik, who have been striving to make this event a reality since 2013. Petrik is a professor in biomedical sciences and his research focuses on developing new therapies for treating advanced stage ovarian cancer.
“Most diagnoses of ovarian cancer come at a late stage of the disease, where therapeutic options are minimal” said Petrik in an interview with The Ontarion.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, in one year, one in 71 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and in that same year, one in 91 women will die from the disease. In most cases, as Petrik said, the cancer is caught at a late stage which means treatment success rates are very low.
Ovarian cancer research is critical and fundraising walks like the one held in Guelph can help to change the face of the research already being done. When Vanover and Petrik set out to start the walk, they were told to set their expectations low for the first time event.
“We were advised for the first year, not knowing what to expect, to maybe set a fundraising goal of $5,000,” said Petrik. “We said, ‘well if we’re going to set a goal, we’ll set a lofty goal of $10,000,’ and we just surpassed it, so we’re ecstatic.”
The campaign raised a total of $11,666 with many members of the community in attendance at the event on Sunday. The walk brought out students, firefighters, survivors, and many others to support the cause. Many attendees walked the two kilometre walk in teams, with several of them wearing costumes. Smiles were worn on all faces as the sun shone down on the special event.
Petrik has been a professor at the University of Guelph since 2000, and his passion for ovarian cancer research has taken him to many survivor groups and support groups over the years. Petrik has been inspired by many of the individuals he has met over the years, but one in particular has left a mark on his life.
Petrik met eight-year survivor Vanover when he read about the support group she had started. When the two got in touch, they realized that they shared a common goal in starting a Walk of Hope in Guelph.
“Frances and I met at a coffee shop and instantly had great rapport. She shared her story with me and I shared some of our research and we had a fantastic interaction. We really got along well and we both shared a real great enthusiasm for furthering the cause of raising money for ovarian cancer research” said Petrik. “It was a great first meeting and we’ve formed a really great partnership and a great friendship.”
Petrik and Vanover will continue to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and hope to help the walk grow over the years.
Photos by Sapphire Liu.