IRVINGTON, NJ — File Lt. Mike Scott and the Irvington Fire Division are scheduled to host the eighth annual Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m., in conjunction with Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss, the Municipal Council and the Public Safety Department.
The event is scheduled to begin and end at Fire Division headquarters in the newly renamed D. Bilal Beasley Square, traveling a distance of 1.5 miles through town on a route that traverses Lyons Avenue, Grove Street and Clinton Avenue. There will also be refreshments and music.
“Everything is good,” said Scott on Sunday, Oct. 7. “I actually have someone coming to speak that’s going through chemotherapy now.”
Scott founded and organized the annual Cancer Walk in 2010, because he wanted Irvington to have an organized cancer-awareness event similar to other municipalities. Since then, it has grown into the township’s premier cancer support and awareness event and he said that’s a good thing.
Every year, the number of participants grows, with members of the Irvington Fire and Police divisions, students from the local public schools, township employees, residents, cancer survivors and relatives of those who have died from the disease participating.
“We all have to do things together,” said Scott. “If we can collaborate with the township, then that’s for the greater good. Once again, it’s about the cause. If putting the mayor’s name on it is going to make more people come out, then that’s OK with me. It’s not about me; it’s about the cause.”
Scott said he is hoping for another big turnout for this year’s walk, “rain or shine.”
“I think that people are hoping for more things to happen in Irvington,” said Scott. “Newark has their walk and it has grown into thousands of people coming out for a good cause. We hold ours the week before Newark does theirs, so as not to have scheduling conflicts and also to allow anyone that can’t make it to that event to come out and participate in ours and vice versa, or the one in New York or whatever. It’s all about the cause.”
For more information about the event, contact Scott at michaelscott203@gmail.com or 973-399-6553.