I had the pleasure of covering the Monmouth County Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk at Monmouth University a few years ago. I have been volunteering my photography services for a while and always looking for a good cause to support. I found the Monmouth County Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk and, without hesitation, I signed up to volunteer. I was very excited when I received a confirmation email along with some other information about the walk. My thought was that I would do Team photos, like I did for the JDRF, but I was assigned to be an Event Photographer. Uh oh…. I haven’t covered an event this big in a long time but if that was what they needed, that was what I was going to do. I was excited to be part of such an important event – it is important because it raises much needed money for research but it is also important to me on a more personal level. Pancreatic cancer took the lives of my mother-in-law, Joyce, and uncle, Pendy, and I have been looking for a way to honor their memories; this seemed to be the perfect way. If I can do my small part to aid in the research that leads to a cure, I think they would want me to. I was encouraged to hear Nicole read the names of two (2) survivors at the walk that year, but it is my hope that there will come a time when the list of survivors becomes too great to read aloud.
The Monmouth County Walk was founded by Nicole Tuscano and her family in 2010 in honor of her mother, Cleo. Cleo lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in 2008. The day started for me at 7:00 AM when I arrived at Wilson Hall on the campus of Monmouth University. I was taken aback a little when I approached a small group of people and one of them, Nicole, greeted me by name. I was sure I had never met her before and couldn’t figure out how she knew who I was. I guess my confusion must have shown on my face because she quickly explained that she saw the camera bag and I was the only new photographer to the mix. I helped with a couple tables and a few cases of water and then set about my job. Too often the volunteers and others behind the scenes are treated like scenery but I like to shoot them as-well. In fact, one of the emails that I received from Nicole in advance of the walk mentioned that she wanted photos of the volunteers and her family, in addition to the participants. I soon met Frank, the other event photographer, and we discussed how to best cover all of the action. Frank had been involved with the walk before and knew the route, as well as the important aspects that we needed to cover. This proved to be invaluable and ensured full coverage.
It wasn’t long before the once empty lawn was awash in yellow and purple as participants signed in, checked out the tables of information and grabbed a quick bite to eat. It was then that I decided to try taking a few shots from an elevated platform. The ideal would have been the roof of Wilson Hall but that didn’t seem likely so I chose the top of the stairs leading into the building. It was high enough to give me a good overview; the panoramic shot was taken from this position and then stitched together with Photoshop. Soon the time came for everyone to move to the Start/Finish line and for Nicole to say a few words before cutting the ribbon with her father. That was when everything really started. I tried to catch as many people at the start line as I could and when the last person crossed the line I headed for my next station to get set before the walkers had a chance to get there. I barely made it and I took a shortcut! I admit, the photos at the starting line were taken more to document the start of the walk but now I wanted to try to capture more of the life and essence of the walk and was more selective in my shooting. The most important thing for me is to stay out of the way and so I stayed to the side of the path and only crossed to the other side when there was a big enough break. Occasionally a team would stop and pose for me but mainly I just let the action go by and grabbed what I thought would make for a good photo. Again, I stayed in this position until the last person passed before I headed over towards the Pollack Auditorium to catch everyone passing through.
The background wasn’t all that special so I walked against the current towards the stadium and set up there. The crowd had thinned out a bit more by this point which made shooting even easier than before. I could see potential shots earlier thereby giving me more time to get ready and frame the shot. There were a few times that I wished I had been shooting video, especially when a mother with her twins sons came by. She had allowed them to push the tandem stroller (they were barely able to reach the handles) but the one on the left was pushing a bit harder than the one on the right and so they kept veering off course. Mom had to keep correcting their tack but eventually they found straight and went on their way. When the last had passed I made my way back to the Start/Finish line but by the time I got there most of the walkers had finished. Luckily Frank was there to catch each and every person crossing the finish line. Did I mention how nice it was having someone else shooting?
The walk was done but my job was not. It was time to catch everyone relaxing with a cool drink or maybe a purple bagel, enjoying the beautiful day. There was also the raffle to deal with. When everything was done and the participants had left it was time for one last photo – the Volunteers! Everyone gathered on the steps to Wilson Hall and I took a shot. I then took a few more, just in case. It was only then that my job was done and I could go home.
I met a lot of people that day – walkers and volunteers – and most of them had a very personal reason for being there, I know that I did. I wish I could share all of their stories but, unfortunately, I cannot. What I can do is to help get the word out and raise awareness with the hope of inspiring more people to get involved. Check out the Lustgarten Foundation website – here – to find ways to help. Volunteer. Walk. Donate. No contribution is too small, whether it be time or money.
Thank you for stopping by – if you have a story you would like to share, please feel free to leave a comment below. Stay tuned for a post about the volunteers for this great event.
All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
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