Ashley Schepers modeled upbeat resolve under sunny skies during the Making Strides fundraising walk Oct. 13 at St. Cloud State.
The 34-year-old Stage IV breast cancer survivor from St. Augusta carried the pink St. C flag for the survivors’ lap in Halenbeck Hall field house. Then, to the sounds of cheers and the music of the Husky Sports Band, Schepers led hundreds to the three-mile route through campus.
Since 2009, the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Central Minnesota has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research and programs, partner with community organizations such as St. Cloud State.
Related links
The walk marks a climax, but not the end of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides effort. Walking teams and community organizations will be working toward the $90,000 fundraising goal for weeks to come.
A companion effort, Real Men Wear Pink, will continue pushing toward its $50,000 goal. Among the 14 breast cancer community ambassadors is Steve Hoover, retired professor from the Department of Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy. He raffled a Real Men Wear Pink quilt created by his wife, Chris Hoover, a renowned quilt designer.
Steve Hoover, a 2018 Real Men Wear Pink ambassador.
Corie Beckermann ’98 ’02, director of Student Health Services, coordinates St. Cloud State’s sponsorship and management of the walk.
Giovanni Antunez, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, coordinates student volunteers. Celest Stang ’03 ’05 manages the Cancer Conversation pre-walk event and the walk’s opening ceremony.
Staff in the St. Cloud office of the American Cancer Society manage the walk, including Kim Orn ’82 and Angie Thaxton.
Breast cancer by the numbers
The American Cancer Society’s 2018 estimates for breast cancer in the United States:
- Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women
- About 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women
- About 40,920 women will die from breast cancer
Since 1993, more than 14 million walkers across the United States have raised more than $870 million through Making Strides events.
