WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Mayor’s 5K Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer marked its 10th year of partnering with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition by raising more than $100,000 for the cause Sept. 25.
A total of 835 people participated in what is actually the 26th annual event, some just for the exercise but most to honor a loved one who has or had the disease. Attendees also had the chance to join a silent auction for gift baskets donated from local vendors. And Meryl and Danny Schrager of Skicks sold teal sneakers — teal is the color for ovarian cancer awareness — with 15 percent of the profits going to the NOCC. Meryl Schrager said they have raised more than $5,000 so far.
It was an great day to be in West Orange, according to Mayor Robert Parisi. And considering the number of benefits he said the event provides, it is no wonder why so many people came out to support it.
“Not only does it help to promote the downtown and bring people together in the community, but it raises awareness and money for a very important cause,” Parisi told the West Orange Chronicle after completing the run with his wife, Sheila. “So any number of reasons make this a very important day in our community each year.”
But the day would not have been possible without Downtown West Orange Alliance Executive Director Megan Brill, who organized the event. Brill said that the Mayor’s 5K is essential to the alliance because it exposes people to the downtown area. After all, she said having nearly 900 participants travel through roughly two-thirds of the town is a great way to show them what West Orange has to offer. And once the race is done, she said they can always return to check out the businesses they spotted.
Of course, Brill said hosting the race is also vital to continue raising awareness for ovarian cancer. According to the NOCC, an estimated one in 75 women will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime, with the American Cancer Society reporting that more than 14,240 women will die from it this year. If ovarian cancer is caught early, the NOCC states that 90 percent of sufferers would survive for at least five years — a number that drops drastically the longer the disease goes untreated. The problem is that there currently is no test for the disease, so it is almost always found when it has already reached stage III or IV. At that point, per the NOCC, those stricken have survival rates as low as 28 percent.
By holding the Mayor’s 5K, West Orange has the opportunity to contribute a significant amount of money to ovarian cancer research each year. In fact, Brill said the township has collected more than $1 million for the cause since partnering with the NOCC a decade ago. And, she said it allows the town to send the message that something needs to be done to save lives from being taken by the lethal affliction.
“The chance of survival rate really hasn’t changed in 10 years with all this research and all the money that’s been raised,” Brill told the Chronicle in a Sept. 22 phone interview. “We need to draw a line in the sand and say to the medical community ‘We need a test. You’ve got to figure out what is going on with this disease and be able to predict a person has it before it’s in the late stages.’”
The NOCC certainly appreciates having such a committed partner in this cause, national chapter relations manager Debra Battista said. Battista lauded Brill for her energy and passion, telling the Chronicle that their working relationship “couldn’t be better.” She also praised West Orange survivor Shari-Beth Susskind, who was honored during the event, for being “instrumental” in forming the partnership between the coalition and the township. And the entire community is commendable, she said, describing West Orange as the perfect example of a town uniting for a good cause.
Battista hopes West Orange will continue working with the NOCC to present the Mayor’s 5K because women must be informed about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, frequent urination and feeling full too quickly after eating are all signs of ovarian cancer. But many women often do not give the symptoms much thought since they are so vague, another reason why the disease is not often caught early. That is why women need to be particularly vigilant, Battista said.
“They need to pay attention to their bodies,” Battista said in a Sept. 22 phone interview. “A lot of women tend to put their own feelings of discomfort to the side and take care of others. But the truth is if we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of others. So it’s very important for women to know the signs and symptoms.”
The NOCC is committed to raising awareness for those symptoms in addition to providing funds for ovarian cancer research. Its events and Teal Buddies support group also offer emotional support to sufferers and survivors.
Dawn Terlizzi knows how helpful connecting with others can be after experiencing something as frightening as ovarian cancer. Terlizzi said she was shocked when she was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer, and said the subsequent treatment process was harrowing. After undergoing surgery to remove the cancer — which left her with a 12-inch scar — she underwent intense chemotherapy. She said the treatment was so “brutal” that she lost her fingernails and toenails, and she still cannot feel her fingertips or toes.
It was in the middle of the chemo process seven years ago that Terlizzi learned about an NOCC walk and decided to participate. Little did she know that it would change her life.
“It was the most amazing feeling to have walked 3 miles after being ripped apart inside from the ovarian cancer,” Terlizzi told the Chronicle at the event. “I joined the NOCC that day as a volunteer and I’ve been volunteering ever since.”
Terlizzi, who was at the Mayor’s Run as both an NOCC volunteer and captain of Team Terlizzi, has since gotten involved with Teal Buddies. And she urged anyone else affected by ovarian cancer to do the same, explaining that only women who have experienced the disease can relate to what one is going through.
Fellow volunteer Gail Sonners also urged anyone afflicted to get involved with the coalition. Having survived ovarian cancer three times and breast cancer once, Sonners told the Chronicle that she always has a fear that she will be diagnosed again. But meeting so many “amazing” people through the NOCC has given her hope.
Sonners said that everyone with cancer has good days and days where they can be as frightened as can be. Withdrawing does not help, she said; instead, there are plenty of people at the NOCC who can offer the support one needs to get through the dark times.
“You get strength from others,” Sonners told the Chronicle at the NOCC survivors table. “It’s like this network of strength around you.”
Both Terlizzi and Sonners commented on how impressed they were to see so many West Orange residents turn out in support of the event. Lori Kapferer was one such community member. Kapferer said she wanted to participate after hearing wonderful things about it in the past. She also felt a personal connection to the cause, having an aunt who survived the disease and remembering how it impacted the entire family.
West Orange youth Ventura Perez was inspired to join the event after hearing about it at school. As an avid runner, he said he thought participating would be a fun way to raise awareness for a great cause. So he signed up for the Kids Fun Run and even got his mother, Carolina, to register for the main 5K. And he hopes that the event will make a difference.
“Too many people are affected around the globe,” Ventura told the Chronicle after finishing the Fun Run at eight minutes and 17 seconds.
For Councilman Jerry Guarino, seeing so many residents present was no surprise. Guarino told the Chronicle that West Orange is a community that cares, which is why so many residents attend the Mayor’s 5K every year. And he is glad they do, and not just so they can donate money. Having known many people affected by ovarian cancer, the councilman said what really helps is simply being a friend.
“Support’s the key to any survival,” Guarino told the Chronicle before the event. “When people know that you’re there for them, they don’t feel abandoned. They don’t feel lost. Sometimes the best medicine in the world is support, love and care.”
Photos by Sean Quinn
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