Almot 400 people participated in the May 3 Unite in the Fight Against Cancer walk and raised $62,000 for the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University,
The event celebrates and honors all those who have been affected by cancer, according to a news release.
The money raised funds patient and staff-centered programs at the GCC.
The programs selected for funding all aim to improve the quality of care provided by the Georgia Cancer Center. This includes renovating spaces for patient and staff use, providing additional programs to ease the stress of the cancer survivorship journey, outreach efforts to educate our community and covering transportation costs, the release said.
“There are so many ways we can reduce the burdens of our patients and staff,” said Angela Maskey, guest relations coordinator and the front-runner for Unite in the Fight Against Cancer. “I am excited to see how these programs improve the work that we do here.”
The programs selected to receive funding from Unite 2024 included Sun Safe Augusta: Safeguarding Skin Health with Sun Safety Education and Public Sunscreen Access, Yoga for Healing, and Rooftop Renovation and Ag-Tech Innovation for Patient and Community Health.
“With this project, we can improve a patient’s experience during infusion treatments while reducing the burdens of food insecurity,” said Malcolm Bevel about his program, Rooftop Renovation and Ag-Tech Innovation for Patient and Community Health.
Bevel plans to transform the forgotten rooftop patio, located on the second floor of the Outpatient Clinic, into a beautiful garden patients can visit before and after treatments and view through the large windows in the clinic while receiving their treatments. Patients will also be able to volunteer in the garden space, fostering community engagement, improving mental health and allowing them a sense of ownership in the project.
“This is more than a fundraiser; this is a community event for all of us to come together and provide comfort and support for each other,” said Dr. Jorge Cortes, the director of the Georgia Cancer Center.
Donations are still being accepted at Uniteaugusta.com.
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