Redmond walk raises childhood cancer awareness

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and at an event in Redmond Saturday, organizers wanted to honor that.

Shane’s Walk is a 5K as well as a festival.

It began after Shane Christensen , a Redmond boy, died from cancer a few years ago.

Candlelighters for Children with Cancer, a family support organization, puts on the event.

Now in its third year, organizers say it’s the best way to raise awareness, because many people don’t want to face that children get cancer, and many don’t realize it affects the whole family.

“When a child gets cancer, basically the whole family gets cancer, because everything stops,” said Angie Jeppsen, Central Oregon chair for the Candlelighters group.

“Unlike an adult that can easily seclude themselves into a certain area of the house or whatever, kids just can’t really do that — they are mobile,” she says.

Jeppsen says the best way to raise awareness is to have what kids like to do the most — which is run, play and jump — and that’s just what the festival did.

All proceeds raised at Saturday’s event go to Central Oregon Candlelighters, which help the 26 local families who are dealing with kids with cancer.

If you would like to donate or learn more about future events you can log onto www.shaneswalk.weebly.com