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The Fifth Annual Walk This Way…With Us event for the Whittingham Cancer Center will take place at Calf Pasture Beach Park in Norwalk, on Saturday, May 17, 2008, with registration at 11A.M. and the Walk kicking off at noon. According to Mary-Ellen Loncto, administrative manager of the Whittingham Cancer Center, this event is being spearheaded by a group of dedicated volunteers, some of whom have been patients or have had family members who were patients of the Cancer Center. “We are very grateful for their support.” Tammy Zelkowitz and Amy Schafrann, both of Westport, are this year’s Co-Chairs for the walk. Mrs. Zelkowitz has volunteered on the planning committee for this annual event since its inception five years ago. Her husband, Dr. Richard Zelkowitz, chief of hematology and oncology at Norwalk Hospital, has also been a major supporter of this walk and has seen the direct impact of this event on the programs and services of the Cancer Center. Amy Schafrann participated in the walk in previous years but joined Tammy Zelkowitz this year as Co-Chair because “I have been inspired by the incredible stories of patients being treated at the Whittingham Cancer Center,” she related. “As a member of the Board of Directors of the Norwalk Hospital Foundation, I have worked with ‘grateful patients’ and their families from different areas of the hospital to create the Circle of Caring group which gives back to the hospital by supporting needed services, providing thanks to the staff and volunteering. “I realized from these patients that Whittingham Cancer Center is a state of the art center right in our own backyard. Many of the physicians and staff have spent years training, teaching and working at major cancer centers and decided to create the Whittingham Cancer Center to provide a uniquely warm atmosphere where a team of oncologists, oncology nurses, social workers and therapists work in partnership with patients at every step of their cancer journey to provide the best outcomes. I feel honored to be Co- Chair of this year’s walk to help to generate support for these services,” she said. All proceeds from the benefit walk will be used for programs and services at the Whittingham Cancer Center such as cancer research, support and counseling, including a program for children who have a parent with cancer, complementary therapies such as art, music, creative writing, Reiki and massage therapy. “Our goal for the Walk is to encourage people to join teams with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers and collect pledges on behalf of the Cancer Center. You can sponsor yourself, ask your family and friends to sponsor you as well as local businesses,” Mrs. Zelkowitz explained. “Our committee members are also selling flags for $100 so that people can honor a loved one or walk in memory of someone special to them,” she explained. “Corporate sponsors who joined our cause, even before our official kick-off, are MetLife, Horizon Paper, Patriot Bank, Neville, Rodie and Shaw, Norwalk Radiology, Norwalk Oncology and the Norwalk Medical Group,” she said. Canaiden LLC, Norwalk Plus and Stamford Plus magazines and Palace Productions are among the media sponsors to date. All tax-deductible contributions will benefit the programs of the Whittingham Cancer Center. “Not only will walkers be helping a great cause, but it’s also a fun, family day with great entertainment, face painting, prize drawings, and much more,” she added. The popular rock band, DNR, comprised of Norwalk Hospital physicians, including Dr. Richard Frank, the director of cancer research at Norwalk Hospital, will perform at the Walk. The C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center was designated as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer and received the commission’s highest possible rating. “As Southwestern Connecticut’s premier community cancer center, our goal is to offer the best of cancer care in a warm and caring environment,” said Pradip Pathare, MD, Medical Director of the Whittingham Cancer Center and Chief of Radiation Medicine at Norwalk Hospital. “We focus on a committed team approach to cancer care in order to serve the physical, educational, psychosocial, spiritual and financial needs of our patients,” he added. The physicians and staff are committed to assuring a full spectrum of oncology services to the people of our community. From prevention and screenings to diagnosis and treatment, the staff is continually responding to the changing needs of health care and cancer patients. In addition to many support groups, the Center offers weekly art classes, music therapy for inpatients and outpatients, a creative writing class, a Tai-Chi type exercise program to decrease fatigue and a Reiki program. The Center also offers numerous clinical research protocols that enable patients to participate in emerging therapies. “Our oncology team is committed to working with patients and loved ones in managing the stresses that arise with the diagnosis of cancer,” Dr. Pathare continued. “We are grateful for our outstanding volunteers who are giving their time, talent and efforts to make this walk a success.” In addition to the Co-Chairs, Tammy Zelkowitz and Amy Schafrann, both of Westport, the Walk Committee includes: Anthony Chimento, Claudia Francoeur, Anna Mastrolillo, Walter McLaughlin, Ivannia Mena, Zarek Mena, Ray Rumer, and Mary Scialabba, all Norwalk residents, Nancy Gennaro of Danbury, Debra Koenig of Westport, Mary-Ellen Loncto of Ridgefield, Susan Ludwig of Bridgeport and Maura Romaine of Fairfield. The proceeds of “Walk This Way…With Us” will assist the Whittingham Cancer Center in its efforts to continue to provide local residents with the best possible cancer programs in their own community. There is a $20 registration fee, which includes one T-shirt. For children under 12, there is no registration fee and T-shirts can be purchased while supplies last. For more information on the Walk, call 852-2164 or visit www.norwalkhospital.org. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. 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