Valerie Fund 5K to be June 10 in Verona Park

Katrina Young

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Planning is under way for the 2017 Valerie Fund Walk & JAG Physical Therapy 5K Run. The event will take place Saturday, June 10, in Verona Park, a magnificent setting for a celebration of children in our community being treated for cancer and blood disorders. To learn more about the event and to register for the certified 5K race and the walk, visit www.thevaleriefund.org/walk or call The Valerie Fund offices at 973-761-0422.

Since 2006, the nonprofit organization’s premier fundraiser has grown steadily in attendance, number of donations and sponsorship participation. On June 10, more than 4,000 people are expected to join several hundred Valerie Fund patients and families in recognition of their courage and to spread awareness of pediatric cancers and blood disorders.

“Everyday people are sharing their personal experiences with me about how they have been touched directly or indirectly by cancer or blood disorders,” Bunny Flanders, director of marketing and communications for The Valerie Fund, said in a press release. “I feel the message of this year’s marketing campaign — ‘Why do you walk?’ — triggers a powerful response since it is so inclusive. The number of answers to the question ‘Why do you walk?’ are immeasurable. And every message rings true, the underlying theme being, we walk to make a difference!”

The Valerie Fund provides emotional, practical and financial support complementing state-of-the art medical treatment at seven Valerie Fund Children’s Centers located in New Jersey, New York and metropolitan Philadelphia. The hallmark of The Valerie Fund services ensures that families and hospitals do not have to rely on insurance reimbursements to receive the range of support of a multidisciplinary team, including a staff of social workers, psychologists, child life specialists and educational liaisons. More than 6,000 children with cancer and blood disorders are treated annually.