On Sept. 18th, I had the opportunity to cover City of Hope’s Walk for Hope event.  This is a fund raising walk that raises money to support research, treatment and education aimed at curing and preventing cancer. 

This walk always marks an especially meaningful time of year for me.  Fourteen years ago, my father died of cancer ten days after my son was born, right around this time in September, which is also right around my father’s birthday.  So in remembrance of him, I am always happy to help keep City of Hope’s Walk for Hope going strong.

Out of all the events I do yearly, this is the only one I actually train for.  I buy new sneakers, I start taking longer walks around the neighborhood to get in shape.  As most people know, walks start out going in one direction, and then circle back in the other direction.  Starting at Camden, New Jersey’s Campbell’s Field ballpark and going over the Ben Franklin Bridge to South Street, this is a one-way 5K walk.  The only “K” I really like is the one that starts “KFC.”  But each year, I get there, take my Tylenol Extra Strength, and get moving.

During this walk, it is just so great to see people who are all smiling, happy, and hopeful.  We all know people who have been lost to disease, and those who are still suffering with disease that we’d like to live out longer, happier, healthier lives.  And with walks like this, a cure is definitely closer every year. 

I’ve been photographing this walk for several years, and it’s like a moving block party - I get to see old friends, see kids growing up, and we all have a great time together.  It is truly a joy for me to see this many people happily joined in cheerful camaraderie for City of Hope, a great organization. 

And at the end of the walk, I come home ...and fall right to sleep.  It’s another perk; no one disturbs me at all until much later on that evening. 

I can not say enough about how fun and exciting the walk is, and how cheerful the people are.  For all of these reasons, I can not wait to do it again next year. 

Talk to you next month!

-Kevin S. Nash

Photo Details:

Heading over the Ben Franklin Bridge at City of Hope’s Walk for Hope 2011, Camden, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA.