October 28, 2008
Queens, N.Y. -
St. John’s University students, staff, administrators and
faculty were out in full force on Queens Boulevard on Sunday,
October 19 for the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk”
sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
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As a flagship sponsor with a nine-year track record of
participation, St. John’s University walkers lined the streets with
their red t-shirts and totaled more than 600 walkers in all.
Joseph Sciame, Vice President for Community Relations and a member
of the Advisory Board of the Queens Division of ACS, was one of the
Flagship Sponsor speakers who greeted the thousands of people on
the Boulevard, and thanked walkers and volunteers for their efforts
in making the day so successful.
“One of the most important reasons for St. John's to be involved
with this very worthy effort is the education of students about
health care and early detection of cancer. The medical
evidence proves this saves lives,” said Sciame. “University life is
about education and we walk each year in order to educate and
someday help in finding that cure. St. John’s, itself, has
been the beneficiary of research funding in the sum of $2,000,000
in the past seventeen years. We are indeed ‘partners’ in the search
for a cure.”
With some 7,000 walkers in Queens, St. John’s University left its
positive mark on the event owing to the Jazz Band, the Cheerleaders
and a true Red Storm spirit.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is an opportunity to
honor breast cancer survivors, educate women about prevention and
early detection, and raise funds and awareness to help achieve a
day when the world would be free of breast cancer. Another
important reason for the Walk is to raise needed money that is used
by the American Cancer Society to fight cancer through education,
services and research. This year Queens campus walkers helped
to raise in excess of $21,000 to date. Theresa Maylone
of the University Libraries won a raffle, in conjunction with the
fund raising conducted by the Office of Community Relations
(OCR). Marge Cashin was St. John’s coordinator in Queens.
In addition, representatives at the St. John’s Staten Island
campus also participated at Clove Lakes Park with over 250 walkers,
and the Staten Island campus is also a Flagship Sponsor for the
Staten Island “Making Strides Walk.” The day on Staten Island
started off with a mass in the Rev. James Kiernan Suite in the
Kelleher Center, followed by a complimentary breakfast. Buses then
took the walkers to the site and helped to raise over $10,000
towards the borough’s total amount of over $620,000.
Once again, Staten Island students and friends, under the
auspices of the Student Health Services and Institutional
Advancement, all have made progress in raising needed funds and
fighting cancer with early detection and prevention. Margaret
Tierney was St. John’s Staten Island coordinator at that site.
Additional St. John’s alumni, staff and students walked at other
sites, such as Jones Beach and ACS Long Island reported the great
number walking on October 19th. Overall, it is reported to have
been one of the most successful walks ever for the ACS.
For further information, or additional donation giving regarding
the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, and St. John’s
Flagship sponsorship, please contact OCR Assistant Marge Cashin at
(718) 990-1941 in Queens or Margaret Tierney, RN, at Staten Island
at (718) 390-4447. For more information about the Making
Strides Against Breast Cancer effort visit www.cancer.org/stridesonline.