UCAN walk to be held, rain or shine

The 11th annual UCAN Sarah Jarboe White Walk will be Saturday, April 30, and organizers are planning to walk even if it rains. Funds from the event help support cancer patients in Butler, Stoddard, Wayne and Ripley counties.

“We go ahead, cancer doesn’t stop for the rain,” said UCAN Executive Director Melody Chailland.

The walk is one of UCAN’s major fundraisers and is named for White, who was a daughter, sister, wife, mother and teacher who battled cancer with courage and grace before her death in January 2012. The walk honors and remembers her and many other cancer patients.

This year’s theme is Matthew 11:29, which is “Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”

Chailland explained, the one time the walk was canceled was when Van Buren and Doniphan were severely flooded.

“Out of respect for our community neighbors suffering and to be able to send people to help, we postponed it because our neighboring communities and the counties we service were flooded,” Chailland said. “We did it out of respect for them, so people would go help.”

If a team hasn’t registered, it is not too late.

“They can come all the way up to the day and they can jump in, as we’re leaving,” she said. “They can (do) preregistration, but it is not required. They can come alone. They can come with a team, they can come with their family.”

“The shirts are selling well and we’re selling them as fast as we can make them,” Chailland said. “We have T-shirts available in the UCAN office, 2620 N. Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff, to purchase or in the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center gift shop,” said Chailland.

Shirts also may be purchased the day of the walk.

The cost of the T-shirts ranges from $15-$20 with the 2x and 3x shirts costing a little more. Anyone who wants to organize a team or purchase a T-shirt may email or call UCAN.

“We will have hydration stations and rest stations along the way.” Chailland said. “We will be giving out redbud, dogwood and poplar seedling at the end of the walk to plant in memory or in honor of someone.”

UCAN relies on donations, Chailland said, adding the past couple of years have been hard on everyone, especially not-for-profit organizations.

Chailland stressed, “it’s never too late to help us in our fight” by forming a fundraising team.

While all the money used by UCAN is raised locally, there are no sponsorship levels and no fees to walk. The walk is to remember cancer patients and raise awareness and funds to help patients battling cancer.

Team packets still are available by calling the UCAN office at 573-300-7058.

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, members say.

The funds help cancer patients with such items as fuel cards, transportation, utilities, groceries, medical expenses, housing, nutritional supplements and other necessities while taking chemotherapy and/or radiation, and are not able to work as a result. UCAN has transported patients 350,000 miles to and from treatment.

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.