‘A great comeback year’: Walk of Hope for ovarian cancer raises $80,000

More than 300 people laced up their walking shoes Sunday for the 21st annual Walk of Hope for ovarian cancer in Winnipeg’s Kildonan Park.

This year, participants raised over $80,000 for research initiatives, as well as support for families and those diagnosed with the disease.

“This year was a great comeback year, because with the pandemic we did see our numbers drop,” said Christa Slatnik, one of the co-chairs of the event. “We actually switched to virtual walks for a few years, and our numbers when we returned to in-person were quite low for a couple of years.

“So we’re super excited to see the numbers back up, and we’re raising funds again and having more and more people join every year,” she said.

Slatnik and her twin sister and co-chair Cindy Sanchez emphasized the need to support ovarian cancer research since it isn’t something a lot of people are familiar with. While most women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their 50s and 60s, early detection can help save lives and stop the disease from spreading.

“It’s been seven years since I’ve been diagnosed,” said Sylvia Horn, Walk of Hope spokesperson. “I honestly didn’t think I would still be here. So to be able to stand here with all these amazing people who are trying to help me, I can’t even put it into words. Honestly, I’m overwhelmed.”

Horn, Slatnik and Sanchez all hope the event raises more awareness around ovarian cancer, along with other diseases that aren’t usually talked about, like prostate or pancreatic cancer.

“It's no longer just the women's disease,” Slatnik said. “This cancer can run in the family with several family members from both male and female.”

Event organizers also stressed the importance of genetic awareness and learning about one’s family history with disease.

“Talk to your family practitioners about any potential genetic screening or genetic awareness, because that in itself, has the potential to save lives,” Slatnik said. “Take risk prevention method measures where you can sometimes reduce the risk of cancer and if not, at least catch it early.”