Family and friends can show their support for loved ones with cancer by registering for the second annual Unite in the Fight Against Cancer walk during a special kickoff event Wednesday, June 12, at the Enterprise Mill Events Center, 1450 Greene St.

The event begins with a networking session from 7:30-8 a.m. followed by registration and an education program from 8-9 a.m.

“Everyone in our community has been touched by cancer in some way,” said Jane Barrett, associate director for development at the Georgia Cancer Center. “The Unite in the Fight Against Cancer walk is an opportunity to show support for family and friends who are current cancer patients as well as honor the memory of those who bravely fought this terrible disease. In addition, this event helps to raise essential funds for research and patient support programs at the Georgia Cancer Center.”

This year’s Unite in the Fight Against Cancer walk will be Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Lucy C. Laney High School football stadium on Laney Walker Boulevard. Participants can register for the 1.5-mile walk as an individual or create a team with family and friends. Individuals and teams will determine a fundraising goal, with money raised going to support patient care and cancer research projects at the Georgia Cancer Center. Walkers will also have the opportunity to purchase an official Unite in the Fight Against Cancer T-shirt in the color representing their cancer’s awareness ribbon color.

“The Georgia Cancer Center is a regional cancer center that works hard at meeting the needs of different communities and populations from southeastern Georgia to western South Carolina,” said Dr. Anand P. Jillella, J. Harold Harrison, MD, Distinguished University Chair in Medical Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. “The goal of this event is to engage our patients, their families and those communities to support our missions of patient care, research and education. While some of this support comes from general awareness, it also comes in the form of donation dollars.”

This fundraiser is just one aspect of the Georgia Cancer Center’s mission to be a community cancer center. Traditions such as monthly ribbon hanging events illustrate the importance of the center’s mission by building partnerships with local communities.

“We serve patients from all across southeastern Georgia and western South Carolina,” said Jillella. “The money raised during the walk will benefit current patients and the patients who will find themselves visiting with our staff in the years to come.”