Making Strides Against Breast Cancer North Conway holds successful Rolling Pink Rally through the Mount Washington Valley

North Conway, NH (October 19, 2020) – This October may look different, but breast cancer hasn’t stopped and neither has the American Cancer Society and its dedicated group of volunteers with the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of North Conway movement.

We started this season by reimagining our favorite Making Strides moments, even though there were times we weren’t really sure how it would all come together. But our reimagined Making Strides Rolling Pink Rally yesterday was AMAZING, thanks to everyone who came out.

The route started and ended at The Stonehurst Manor and took a festive Valley tour down Rt. 16 and back via North South Road. Participants, survivors, and the community decorated their vehicles with all things pink. T-shirts, signs, window paint, balloons, and more showing their pink spirit and commitment to the fight against breast cancer. The coveted “Best Decorated” car prize went to Patty Arsenault and Julie Steiner.

Top fundraising team was team Stonehurst Manor, led by Heidi Shellmer. Second highest team was team Echo’s Breast Friends led by Beth Barker, and the third highest fundraising team was team Altrusa of Carroll County led by Pat Kehoe. The highest individual fundraiser was Heidi Shellmer, who was once again an event Pacesetter, raising over $17,600, adding to her amazing total of more than $140,000 in nine years of Making Strides in North Conway.

Our Flagship sponsor, The Penguin Gallery raised over $12,500 this year. The local shop joined in the fight to end breast cancer by selling donation cards and pink boas, getting both employees and customers involved. This is the store’s eighth year of committing to this effort and being the event’s Flagship Sponsor and it was their best year yet! A tremendous grand total of $62,600 has been raised by The Penguin Gallery since 2012 to support our life saving mission.

Our Rolling Rally is over, but we keep making strides to end breast cancer – and invite everyone to join our Strides Across America Walk Challenge to make your strides count! As one nationwide community, we want to honor every person that will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year by walking a cumulative 279,000 miles together before the end of the month. Learn more and sign up today at our web site www.makingstrideswalk.org/NorthConwayNH.

As the American Cancer Society has been impacted by COVID-19 we need your help more than ever. Our ability to fund cancer research has been reduced in 2020 – our lowest investment this century if current trends continue. We can’t allow progress to be put on hold because of the pandemic.

Funds raised through the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement enables the American Cancer Society to help cancer patients, a population vulnerable to COVID-19, to navigate their cancer journey during a pandemic. The Society offers advice on coping with cancer treatment side effects, answers questions about health insurance and so much more. Donations fund a round-the-clock toll-free helpline, 800-227-2345, and live chat at cancer.org; support research into cancer’s causes, cures and treatments; and promote education to reduce the risk of a diagnosis and to detect cancer as early as possible.

This is the 3rd year Making Strides partnered with Avon as the National Presenting Sponsor. Locally, the 2020 North Conway event was made possible in part by the generous support of by The Penguin Gallery North Conway, Magic 104 FM, WMWV 93.5, Easy 95.3 FM, The Echo Group, Settlers’ Green, Stonehurst Manor, Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Co, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Gamwell, Caputo, Kelsh & Co, PLLC, F.X. Lyons, Inc, Northway Bank, White Mountain Dental, Hannaford North Conway, Maine Shellfish, Trail’s End Ice Cream, Varsity Beverage and statewide sponsors Dartmouth Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center, The Union Leader and New Hampshire Magazine.

To join the walk challenge or donate please visit www.MakingStridesWalk.org/NorthConwayNH. For free breast cancer information and resources, visit the American Cancer Society, anytime day or night, at www.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345. To become involved with Making Strides North Conway 2021, please contact Kathy Metz at Kathy.Metz@cancer.org or 512-490-8787.

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