The month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In McPherson, we dedicate a day to honor and remember the kids who have lost their battle to cancer.
I got to talk with the founder of the Childhood Cancer Walk in McPherson, Gloria Schroeder. Since 2015, we have hosted a Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk. This event occurs at Genesis Health Club and they walk down Main Street to the Plaza located on Main Street.
Gloria Schroeder touched on why she started organizing this event.
“We started organizing the Cancer Awareness Walk when Kaiden Schroeder was diagnosed with cancer. We wanted to give back to the community.”
Kaiden Schroeder of McPherson Kansas, is one of those we remember in September. Kaiden Schroeder was diagnosed with Leukemia in May 2009 and passed away on December 1, 2017.
The Childhood Cancer Walk has many sponsors who donate to this cause. The main sponsors are Pfizer, Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance, Genesis Health Club, and Bandy Sound.
This year was the first year that they decided to start raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Every year they have bags that the community can decorate called luminarias and this year they started to sell them for $5 a bag. This year in total they raised about $2,500.
Gloria Schroeder was then asked what she hopes to achieve with this event.
“My hope is that the families with children that have cancer in McPherson County feel a little more comfortable with being able to ask for help. There is a lot of help in the community. There is WACCC, Giving Hope, and the McPherson Community Foundation. And there are grants to help them with travel expenses or if they need it for rent or any of their utilities.”
I also got the chance to talk with one of the Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk participants and the mother of Kaiden Schroeder, Jenny Schroeder.
Jenny Schroeder first started walking in this event around 8 years ago when her oldest son Kaiden Schroeder was diagnosed with cancer.
Jenny Schroeder was then asked what she loved most about this event.
“I love that it continues to spread awareness, It continues to raise money to help families who need it. And I love that we see Kaiden’s face on the signs around town, and it keeps his memory alive.”
The Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk is such a special event for everyone. It helps others be able to be close with their loved ones again. When Jenny Schroeder was asked what the Childhood Cancer Walk means to her, she replied
“It’s special because we get to walk in memory of Kaiden and just help raise awareness for not only the disease itself but just for others to know what organizations are out there to help them if they were ever in that situation.”
