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• CanSupport - Walk for Life Pathways School Noida
  
  February 12

CanSupport runs India’s largest home-based palliative care program. It aims to enable cancer patients to make informed choices while receiving appropriate physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support. Every year on the 4th of February, recognized as ‘ World Cancer Day’  the organization hosts a walkathon to raise awareness about the rising incidence of cancer in India and the world. The walkathon also allows people to show solidarity with cancer patients. 

 This year around 50 parents, students, as well as teachers from the Pathways community participated in the walkathon to help raise funds for their cause, spread awareness about the increasing rates of Cancer patients around the world, as well as show their solidarity with those struggling with this disease and their loved ones. Our goal was to show support to the organization and the cause they were working for, as well as to help them gain funds, which they would use to help cancer patients get the assistance and aid they require.  The walk was a truly enriching experience, filled with positivity, support, and enthusiasm.

The walk was 3km, around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The organization had arranged for music to dance, and fun mascots as well as getting people to chant their slogan “We support, CanSupport” to enhance the walk experience.  They also provided the participants with a kit consisting of a shirt, a cap as well as a sheet to write the names of individuals they were walking for, particularly if they knew someone affected by cancer, and attach it to their back while walking. This thoughtful gesture added enthusiasm to the event. Additionally, every participant was awarded a medal after the walk to uplift morale. 

This experience allowed us to learn about the importance and power of solidarity and since we met with students from multiple other schools, and other communities, it showed us how events such as walkathons bring people together, and get them to unite for a social cause.  Additionally, their website encouraged us to educate ourselves and enhance our knowledge about cancer, and what people with this disease go through as well as understand the kind of support they require.  Overall, through this experience, we were able to not only help raise funds for the organization to help cancer patients but also develop empathy towards the community.