The annual Sarah Jarboe White UCAN 5K Walk and fundraiser to be held April 27 takes hours of planning and United Cancer Assistant Network Executive Director Melody Chailland already is busy generating ideas for the events.
UCAN annually provides $100,000 in direct services to cancer patient filling an important gap left open by other groups, Chailland said.
Since it is a non-profit charitable organization funded by local citizens, UCAN provides direct assistance to individuals to help pay rent and utilities, buying materials to build wheelchair ramps and provide transportation to treatment or gas cards so patients may travel for treatments.
In the 20 years UCAN has been in existence, the program has made a difference in around 4,000 people’s lives, or between 175-180 people a year.
Chailland is collecting cancer patients’ names for the back of the walk shirts, items for the auction, as well as businesses who want to provide hydration stations for the walkers and runners. She’s also looking for teams to participate and compete for the traveling trophy.
The name of the cancer patient one submits for the shirts must live in or have resided within Butler, Stoddard, Wayne and Ripley counties and a person and/or a team must be participating in honor or memory of the person submitted, Chailland said. Call UCAN at 573-776-1892 to add a name.
While the walk will be in late April, the auction will begin April 1 and will continue for seven days. Some items will be auctioned after 24 hours and others at the end of the week,
“We are looking for unique items” to auction, Chailland said.
She recites a list of items from past auctions which included vacations, purses, clothing, gift certificates, birthday parties, laser tag, ultrasound for a expectant mother, St. Louis Cardinals baseball tickets, father/daughter ball tickets, gift baskets, etc.
Between six to eight businesses or organizations are needed to sponsor hydrations stations. The stations may provide waters, juice, fruit, freezer pops or snacks, Chailland said. They also are responsible for collecting the trash in their area.
Anyone wanting to be responsible for a station may contact Chailland.
While there are no sponsorship levels and no fee to walk, but a walk to remember and a walk to raise awareness, UCAN volunteers are encouraging businesses and individuals to form teams of family, co-workers, friends or raise money by asking for donations.
Teams from Taylor’s Truck Stop and Mid Continent Nail have been competing the past few years for the right to take possession of the traveling trophy. Chailland wonders what they are doing this year in their battle for bragging rights and she is curious what other teams might be secretly plotting against them.
While UCAN fills a financial gap, the program is designed to provide individualized support for patients. When patients come into the UCAN office, they are greeted by volunteers whose lives have been touched by cancer. Often developing personal relationships, volunteers and patients uplift each other during visits.
Since UCAN is a 501(c)3 organization, donations are tax deductible. Anyone wanting to make donations or memorials may mail or drop them by the office at 2620 N Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901-3396.