By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
When participants gather for the annual Ellen Jackson Ovarian Cancer Walk on Saturday (Sept. 19), they will be doing more than taking a stroll around the grounds of Buckeye Broadband, 2700 Oregon Road, Northwood.
They will be walking in memory of those lost to ovarian cancer, in honor of survivors and in support of women and families still facing the disease, said Jeanne Wingate, a longtime ovarian cancer survivor of Bowling Green.
The walk, held each year on the third Saturday of September, is the largest fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Connection, a northwest Ohio organization dedicated to raising awareness about ovarian and other gynecologic cancers and providing assistance to women undergoing treatment.
The organization began in 2005 as part of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. In 2011, it became an independent nonprofit so that fundraising dollars could remain local and support women in northwest Ohio and southeastern Michigan.
Today, that local focus remains at the heart of its work.
One of the organization’s most important programs is its financial-assistance fund. Women with gynecologic cancers who are undergoing active treatment and experiencing financial hardship can receive assistance such as gasoline cards to help them get to chemotherapy and medical appointments. In some cases, the organization also helps with expenses such as utility bills.
Wingate said they are proud that the organization has provided more than $200,000 in financial assistance, providing gas cards for
A walk with a purpose
The Ellen Jackson Ovarian Cancer Walk is named for Ellen Jackson, a former Buckeye Broadband employee and Ovarian Cancer Connection board member who died after battling ovarian cancer.
Buckeye Broadband serves as the event’s title sponsor, and the walk takes place on its grounds. Participants follow a paved path around a pond, with survivors leading the group and families and supporters following behind.
September also provides an important backdrop for the event because it is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the area, volunteers participate in the national “Turn the Towns Teal” project, hanging teal ribbons in communities to draw attention to ovarian cancer. This year, teal ribbons are displayed in Bowling Green, Waterville, Haskins, Grand Rapids, Pemberville, Deshler and Maumee.
The organization also has a satellite presence in Fremont, where a separate walk is held the week before the Northwood event. Support groups and outreach efforts extend throughout Fremont, Clyde, Green Springs and Sandusky.
Fundraising with a personal touch
The walk has become much more than a walk.
Raffle baskets, food trucks, music, merchandise and homemade baked goods turn the morning into a community gathering while helping raise money for the organization.
Raffle baskets are particularly popular. Volunteers typically assemble dozens of baskets from donated items and purchases, creating themes ranging from holiday items to gift cards and household goods. In a typical year, the raffle baskets alone can generate $2,000 to $3,000. Last year, approximately 80 baskets were offered.
This year’s event also will feature several food trucks, a live DJ and a sales table featuring items such as T-shirts and bracelets. Rather than putting fixed prices on many of the merchandise items, organizers use donation jars.
Another popular fundraiser is “Sweet Treats,” an effort that relies on donations of homemade baked goods from family and friends.
Volunteers contribute everything from fudge, cupcakes and cookies to zucchini bread. One year, 12 loaves of zucchini bread were prepared for the event.
The treats are offered in exchange for donations, with proceeds going toward the organization’s financial-assistance program. One recent year brought in more than $300 from the baked goods alone.
A quilt becomes part of the cause
Among the items being used to raise money this year is a handmade king-size quilt created by Wingate’s daughter, Allison Mills.
Mills spent hours creating the quilt, using teal-themed fabric purchased during a mother-daughter trip to Shipshewana. The fabric featured 12-by-12-inch squares called “Real Teal,” a phrase that had special meaning to the family, given that teal is the color aligned with ovarian cancer.
Rather than simply putting the quilt up for auction, organizers are planning to use raffle tickets in hopes of generating more money for the organization.
For Mills’ mother, the quilt represents more than another fundraising item.
It represents her daughter’s willingness to use her time and talents to help others.
“She’s got a heart,” her mother said during the interview, describing the compassion that motivates Mills’ involvement.
Raffle tickets for the quilt are 5 for a $25 donation. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets for the king-sized quilt can contact Wingate via email at gjwing78@gmail.com.
Awareness can save lives
While fundraising is important, organizers say education is equally critical.
Ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognize because symptoms can resemble more common conditions, Wingate said. The organization focuses on teaching women to recognize changes in their bodies and to speak up when something does not seem right.
Among the symptoms she mentioned are bloating, feeling full quickly when eating, urinary changes, bowel changes and abdominal discomfort. The organization’s message is particularly focused on symptoms that are new and persistent.
The organization also emphasizes that a Pap test does not screen for ovarian cancer. There is currently no routine screening test for ovarian cancer comparable to some other cancer screenings, Wingate said. Diagnostic tools such as a CA-125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound can be used when doctors suspect a problem, but they are not screening tests.
That lack of an effective screening test makes awareness especially important, she said.
The coalition takes its message to health fairs and community events, including upcoming events involving the University of Findlay, Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo. Volunteers distribute educational materials and talk with women about symptoms and the organization’s services.
The organization does not set a specific fundraising goal for the walk. Instead, volunteers focus on doing what they can and making every donation count.
“And every dollar can make a difference,” she said.
Every raffle ticket, loaf of zucchini bread, donated basket and lap around the pond contributes to a larger effort to support women impacted by ovarian cancer and other gynecological diseases in the community.
For more information, visit ovarianconnection.org, email occtoledo@gmail.com,or visit OCC on Facebook and Instagram.
