Upward of 1,500 walkers are expected to participate in the second annual Amanda Hichkad CCA Celebration Walk on Saturday, May 9, at 8 a.m. at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen.
The walk, a fundraiser for University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health's Cancer LifeNet Program, is organized by The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation and Chesapeake Cancer Alliance and named in honor of the late Amanda Hichkad, a Bel Air wife, mother of three boys and volunteer extraordinaire, who died from cervical cancer in September 2014.
According to organizers, the annual event honors and memorializes all cancer patients and their loved ones, while celebrating the power of community and raising funds to support the Cancer LifeNet program at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health's Kaufman Cancer Center in Bel Air.
Mrs. Hichkad was a supporter of Cancer LifeNet, a program that provides services to help cancer patients balance work, family and cancer treatment. Her family continues to support the program.
According to the Upper Chesapeake Health website, these navigator and supportive care services are provided free through the Cancer LifeNet program for all individuals in Harford and Cecil counties with a cancer diagnosis regardless of where they receive treatment.
The Hichkad Walk, presented by Klein's ShopRite and Ripken Baseball, takes place on the field at Ripken Stadium, along the warning track, with the goal of completing four laps in The Ripken Mile. This year the goal is to raise $150,000 for Cancer LifeNet.
The cost to register is $25 per person; children 12 and under are free. Commemorative T-shirts will be awarded to those who fund raise $50 or more. Registration takes place online at uchfoundation.org and the morning of the walk. Donations may also be made online at uchfoundation.org. Saturday registration opens at 7:30 a.m., with the ceremonial program and walk beginning at 8 a.m.
Following the walk is the Aberdeen IronBirds' annual IronFest, which kicks off the 2015 baseball season. IronFest features the Out of the Park Yard Sale, Family Fun Expo and an opportunity to purchase individual game tickets. Activities include face painting, balloon artists, caricatures, live music, the opportunity for kids to run the bases and more. For more information on IronFest, visit ripkenbaseball.com.