Sunday marked the 25th Annual Heaven Can Wait 5K race in Redmond, a fundraiser for breast cancer patients and survivors.<\/p>\n
A long time Bend resident and breast cancer survivor, Charlene Levesque, envisioned, created and coordinated the walk that is now organized by the St. Charles Foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see the love and the compassion that\u2019s out here for our fellow cancer survivors, it\u2019s really meant to let them know they are not alone, that we are here, your community is here to help,\u201d said Jenny O\u2019Bryan, the executive director for the St. Charles Foundation.<\/p>\n
Over 1,200 people came to support the event, which over the years has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Sara\u2019s Project.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing lots of other cancer survivors, unless you\u2019ve been through it, you don\u2019t know what a cancer diagnosis does to you, and so many of the women are so upbeat and really encouraging,\u201d said Donna Crandall of Assistance League Bend.<\/p>\n
Assistance League of Bend has been part of the event since 2014 and offers free handmade chemo hats, comfort shawls, lavender heating pads and knitted knockers to women battling breast cancer.<\/p>\n