Did you know - May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month?

May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

Looking over Mary Ann's shoulder

I know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month but had no idea it was also Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. Chances are, until now, you didn’t either.

I listen to NJ 101.5 FM on my drive home most days and a couple weeks ago I heard Bill Doyle, one of the hosts – talk about the upcoming Walk to end Bladder Cancer in Bradley Beach. Bill is a survivor and talked about participating in the walk. My weekend was clear so I thought I could contact the organizer, Mary Ann, and see if I could volunteer. Lucky for me, she said “Yes.”

The Walk

Mary Ann & Team Jack Aregood

The walk is held on the 1st Saturday in May and was begun by Mary Ann in 2011 to honor her late husband, Jack. The first event drew 23 walkers, the majority of whom were family. This year there were about 175 walkers but it is still very much a family affair with three generations taking part in the day’s activities. Jack lost his battle in 2008 and Mary Ann is on a mission to fund research and bring attention to this seldom talked about disease. Bladder cancer is the 6th most commonly diagnosed cancer and affects men at a rate 4x that of women. In spite of this, there is not a lot of attention being paid to the disease; many, me included, probably never gave it a thought.

Mary Ann addressing the crowd

I arrived at 11:15 Am to meet Mary Ann and get some instructions as to the day’s activities. Registration starts @ 12:00, walk @ 1:00 after some brief words from Mary Ann and Alejandra. There would be a presentation of the banner and then the walk would begin. The participants walk from one end of Bradley Beach to the other and back – about 2 miles in all.

Alejandra addressing the crowd

A little after 1:00 everyone started on their 2 mile journey, I try to capture everyone on their way out and then when they return but always being mindful that I am there for them – not the other way around. My intention is to stay out of the way and try to capture candid moments but it isn’t always an easy task. After the last walker leaves the Start Line I usually turn my attention to the oft-overlooked volunteers. There wasn’t a lot for me to do at this event because there were only three volunteers who were not also walking with the rest. This gave me some downtime to check out some of the literature and think about what I was going to do when everyone started to return. I enjoy covering the return more than the start – at the beginning, most people are somewhat businesslike – but something seems to happen to them along the way and there is more playfulness when they return. They are far more likely to “play” for the camera and have some fun.

and they're off!

Some thoughts

My day was done by 2:30; I had done all I could do and most participants had left. It is always a big letdown at the end of the day and today was no exception. This is the smallest event that I have covered but only in size – the enthusiasm and heart rivals all the others. Everyone has their reason for being there, whether it is their own battle with bladder cancer or honoring a loved one. It is deeply personal, everyone is there for their own reasons but they are all bound by a common thread – bringing awareness to the disease in the hope that others don’t have to experience what they have. I am glad that I had an opportunity to volunteer and cover this walk; I am already looking forward to next year. This is the first time I have volunteered for an event that I didn’t have a personal connection to but now I feel that I do; I will think about the survivors that I met like Bill and Fred. I will also keep with me those who were less fortunate, like Jack, and their families.

The Many Faces of Bladder Cancer

I mentioned Alejandra earlier but didn’t tell you who she is. She is the Education and Research Manager for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) and came from the northwest part of the state to be there with her family for the walk at The Shore. I got to spend some time getting to know her and learn more about the organization and bladder cancer. She is a hard-working advocate and the community couldn’t ask for anyone better to be by their side in this fight.

Thank you!

Team Fred

To everyone at BCAN and those who walked on Saturday, I would like to say “Thank you for letting me into the group and I look forward to next year!”

The Sponsors

For more information

For more information about bladder cancer and BCAN, check out their website at https://www.bcan.org/. You will find information about research, symptoms and how you can get involved in your area.