Around 1,000 people participated in Quincy Medical Center’s (QMC) cancer walk on September 26th to benefit the Marie A. Curry Fund, which provides free cancer screening, cancer education and equipment to provide state of the art cancer care for patients.   This year’s proceeds, which totaled close to 100,000 dollars, will be used to enhance QMC’s surgical oncology program, including new breast and thoracic surgery clinics that will open this fall.

At the opening ceremony in Merrymount Park’s Pageant Field, Medical Chair Dr. Sarah May said, “As an oncologist I know first-hand the importance of community support.  Cancer is not a go-at-it-alone journey.”

Supporters who attended the cancer walk ranged from Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch and Candidate for State Representative in Quincy Tackey Chan to Quincy’s Boy Scout Troop #42 and groups of student volunteers from Quincy high school.  Cancer survivors and relatives of cancer survivors in addition to families with children came out to take the four mile seashore walk on a beautiful Sunday.

QMC Board of Directors Co-chair Grace Murphy-McAuliffe said, “36,000 Massachusetts residents are currently battling cancer… The best weapon we have is early detection and aggressive treatment…”

Murphy-McAuliffe added that thanks to walkers, over 1.8 million dollars have been raised for the Curry Fund over the last thirteen years.

Man Lai Yuan, a senior citizen who came with her friend from the Wollaston Senior Center, said, “I love walking!  I walk every morning on Wollaston beach.  I just came to support the Quincy Medical Center.”
Even though she doesn’t have cancer or friends and family with cancer, Yuan has participated in the QMC cancer walk almost every year since 2001.

Natalie Ornell is a Sampan correspondent.