Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure returns for 10th year

By Elizabeth Clinch

The 10th annual Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure takes place Sunday, Oct. 20, at Yeatman’s Cove. To register, visit walkahead.org. The 5k run/walk begins at 9 a.m. and the 2K walk begins at 9:15 a.m. Same-day registration opens at 8 a.m.

“Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure is one of the best days of the year,” said Billi Ewing, brain tumor survivor and Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure committee member. “I look forward to it the same way I look forward to my own birthday or Christmas day.”

Thousands of walkers and runners will support the research and educational efforts of the University of Cincinnati Brain Tumor Center at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute.

“The fact that we have a brain tumor community means there are thousands of people affected by this condition in some way,” Ewing said. “Whether it’s the patient, loved ones, or the caregivers, we are stronger together; the weight of it all is easier to carry when it's shared.”

Far from uncommon, brain tumors affect more 200,000 people in America every year. During the last two decades, the frequency of brain tumors has increased 22 percent overall and 55 percent in people over 65 years of age.

The UC Brain Tumor Center is a regional destination for brain tumor patients, providing innovative and compassionate care while striving to find and cures and discover why these tumors occur.

The funds raised each year through Walk Ahead advance the innovative research necessary to developing new treatments, by annually supporting pilot research grants through UC.

To anyone attending the Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure for the first time, Ewing advises, “Be prepared for a lot of love. The love and support you will receive from total strangers can be overwhelming.”

Featured image at top: Billi Ewing, center, is a brain tumor survivor and Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure volunteer.