The dictionary defines a fighter as a person with the will, courage, and determination to persist through great difficulty to achieve a goal and resist an opponent. Many of you reading this today have fought and triumphantly beaten cancer. All of you inspire us every day to do more.
Unfortunately, cancer is still a formidable opponent to many in our community. We know that it is an insidious disease that does not care about your race, ethnicity or wealth. However, there are thousands right here in our own neighborhoods that don’t even have a safe and reliable way to get to a chemotherapy or radiation appointment, much less access to quality care and treatment.
This is why we Fight! West Fight On, our signature fundraising event, allows us to continue to grow our programs for the underserved in our community and provide education and research through University of Memphis and University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Please keep reading to learn more about West Fight On! We are “Coming Together” with our entire community to fight cancer and we need your support!
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WEST CANCER FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES WEST FIGHT ON SIGNATURE EVENT & MAYORS PROCLAIM MINORITY CANCER AWARENESS DAY IN MEMPHIS AND SHELBY COUNTY |
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We are excited to share that Thursday, April 21, 2022 was proclaimed as West Fight On Minority Cancer Awareness Day in Memphis and Shelby County by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Memphis City Mayor Jim Strickland as we announced our signature event, West Fight On, taking place in person this year on Saturday, September 10 at Shelby Farms Park. |
It was a wonderful event filled with words of encouragement and inspiration for positive change and coming together to fight cancer, with keynote speakers including Leighanne Soden, Executive Director of West Cancer Foundation, Steve Wishnia, President of West Cancer Foundation, Bob Blankenship, Managing Director Finance America Sedgewick and member of West Cancer Foundation Board of Directors, and Sally Archibald, West Fight On Co-Chair.
Neki Catron with Southland Casino Racing also gave a powerful speech as she shared her personal journey with cancer and spoke about how important it is for us to come together and help close the gap in healthcare disparities.
We would like to say thank you to everyone for joining us, and to Sedgwick for being such a great sponsor and supporter of West Cancer Foundation and for hosting this event for us!
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All month long, we encourage everyone to help raise money and awareness on the importance of women’s health and routine mammogram screenings in honor of Mother’s Day and Women’s Health Month. |
Early detection truly saves lives, and every woman deserves access to routine breast screenings. Together, we can make that happen.
Your gift can also help support women in our community through life-saving rides for cancer patients undergoing treatments and post-mastectomy and lymphedema supplies.
SPREADING AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY
On Saturday, May 7, Vivian Tyler, West Cancer Foundation Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, attended a special Mother’s Day Celebration at New Sardis Baptist Church and enjoyed an afternoon filled with sunshine and fellowship as she shared the mission and vision of West Cancer Foundation with the congregation.
Vivian also helped promote the health of our community by sharing information about our patient programs including the breast screening assistance program, transportation program, and the post-mastectomy and lymphedema assistance programs during this event. Thank you so much to Pastor Darrell Harrington and New Sardis Baptist Church for letting us be a part of this special day and for helping us make a difference in the community through awareness and education!
May is oncology nursing month, and Dr. Ben Wilson recently shared details on the UTHSC Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Training Program and what he finds most rewarding about being a UTHSC Gynecologic Oncology Fellow. Click the image or the button below to watch the video.
ROBIN ORGEL
Robin Salky Orgel is a lifelong Memphian who graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School and attended University of Georgia at Athens, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. After teaching elementary school in Atlanta she returned to Memphis to work for the former Memphis City Schools as a teacher at Grahamwood Elementary.
Robin has been very involved in the Memphis Community. She is a former board member at Lausanne Collegiate School, Jewish Family Services, Habitat for Humanity, and of Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (MOST). She is a past Board Secretary and former Board Member at Bridges, Inc and a current member of the Orpheum Theatre Group. She is a current member of the Memphis/Shelby County Film Commission.
After many years of service to the board of the Memphis Jewish Community Center, she is currently serving a two-year term as Board Chair. Robin is married to Billy Orgel, and they have 3 children Benjamin (29), Megan (27), and Hannah (23).
We are grateful to have such an asset as part of our board! Thank you for all of your hard work, Robin!
CANCER RESEARCH MONTH
West Cancer Foundation has partnered with the University of Memphis and is funding research to help identify the most effective ways to eliminate poverty that directly affects the early detection and treatment of cancer. We have also partnered with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and provide grant funding for the Oncology Fellows and Residents Program to help bring the very best young oncology physicians to Memphis.
WEST FIGHT ON 2022
We can’t wait to come together for West Fight On! Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 10 and join us at Shelby Farms Park for our signature event to help fund support programs for cancer patients and to help raise awareness and fight cancer disparities in Memphis.
This signature fundraising event features three different cycling routes, a cycling and running combo, a 5K run/walk, and a one-mile tribute walk. Sedgwick is the presenting sponsor for West Fight On for the sixth year and Highland Capital is the silver sponsor for the eighth year in a row! We are so excited for everyone to come together in person this year as we make a difference in the fight against cancer!
To register to walk, run, cycle, or volunteer, please visit https://westfighton.org.
