Walking for a Cure

By Michelle Dellinger
September 2018 View more Kudos

Photo courtesy Ann Zediker

Naperville’s Riverwalk played host to the 2018 Lustgarten Walk on July 15. Participants gathered to raise funds in support of research efforts for the disease, which is one of the most lethal types of cancer. The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is only 7 percent—the worst of all major cancers.

In fact, only one survivor (shown,
center) out of 500 walkers participated, says volunteer Ann Zediker. “This shows how lethal this cancer can be, and why we need to raise money for a cure.” Zediker started the walk in memory of her father, who lost his battle with the disease in 2010. Grammy Award-winning singer Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in mid-August.

The 2018 walk raised more than $90,000, which will directly support pancreatic cancer research through the New York-based Lustgarten Foundation. The Naperville walks have raised nearly $550,000 since 2011. For more information or to make a donation, visit lustgarten.org.