Courtesy photo Participants walk along the lake in Escanaba’s Ludington Park for the 2019 Walk in the Park for Brain Tumor Research. This year’s walk takes place Saturday, Aug. 13 in Ludington Park. To find out more and to join this year’s walk, go to: eskywalkinthepark.com

ESCANABA — The 18th Annual Walk in the Park for Brain Tumor Research will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, at Ludington Park in Escanaba. Sign-up is available online, and the deadline for early sign-up discounts and t-shirt orders is July 26 for online registration.

The walk raises money for the advancement of brain tumor research, and raises awareness of the prevalence of brain tumors and the need for a cure. It provides a unique opportunity for brain tumor patients and their families to connect with others who are fighting the same battle. Walkers share stories of loss, challenge, and hope with others affected by the disease. All proceeds benefit the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC) through the Superior Health Foundation. This walk has contributed over $90,000 to research since it started.

Money raised for research makes a difference. Recent treatment advances include precision medicine, surgically-placed radiation, and immunotherapy. An exciting new advancement in its early stages is the creation of tumor “avatars,” which are copies of a patient’s tumor grown outside the body in an effort to better analyze and treat them. These new directions for research echo the message of the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center: “Hope Starts Here.”

Research and treatment institutions like the UMBTC in Marquette are making a difference at the local and global level. Many brain tumor patients and their families in the Escanaba area have been served by the work of the UMBTC, including the families of Don McInnis and Sue Anderson, who have been organizing this walk since losing their loved ones to brain tumors.

The event celebrates research successes, and also offers an opportunity for families to connect in support of each other’s losses. In addition to the walk, the event includes a bake sale, 50/50 raffle, silent auction, and raffle prizes from local businesses. Generous sponsors making this event possible are Superior Health Foundation, Luft Insurance Agency, Embers Credit Union, Dobber’s Pasties, and Skradski Family Funeral Homes.

People of all ages are welcome, and the event is dog-friendly. Two marked courses along the lake are available – a two-mile walking loop and a 5K fun run.

On-site registration will be available the morning of the walk from 9:15 am – 9:45 am, but there will be no t-shirts available for on-site registrants. Therefore, the walk’s organizers strongly encourage pre-registration to secure a t-shirt.

Check-in opens at 9:15 a.m. at the pavilion at Ludington Park. The walk and 5K fun run start at 10 a.m, rain or shine. More information is available on-line at www.eskywalkinthepark.com, or on facebook at www.facebook.com/EskyWalk, or by calling Carol McInnis at (906)786-3717.