Yepez Walk Against Cancer canceled owing to pandemic
SOMERTON – The new surge of COVID-19 in the area has prompted cancelation of the Josefina Yepez Foundation’s Walk Against Cancer.
The event annually brings together residents the Saturday after Thanksgiving in a benefit walk in south Yuma County to raise funds to help the area families of cancer patients pay medical and other costs associated with medical care.
This year, owing to concerns about the pandemic, organizers planned to turn what would have been the 14th annual walk into a vehicle caravan from Somerton San Luis on Nov. 28. But in the end they decided to cancel it.
“We began preparing the event this year,” said Jose Yepez, a foundation member. “The plan was to do a vehicle caravan instead of the walk, but we saw the COVID-19 numbers go up, and the last thing we wanted was for anyone to get sick.”
Last year’s walk brought together a little more than 200 people, and the foundation currently has built up a fund of $5,000 to distribute among the families of 17 patients. The money is raised from registration fees people pay to take part in the event and from donations to the foundation.
Yepez said the pandemic could affect plans by the foundation for another fund-rasing event.
“We will see how the pandemic numbers behave in the next few month in case we decided to go ahead with the foundation’s second annual golf tournament. They say that there could be a vaccination against the virus, so that could improve the situation and allow us to do the event and raise funds to help more people, while we go back (next year) to doing the walk.”
The first golf tournament was held in March. Yepez said the pandemic has had the effect of reducing the number of applications to the foundation for funds to help families of cancer patients.
“There are fewer applications, but that’s not to say there is no need. The number of cases continue growing and the patients and their families continue neding help.”
Yepez said area businesses or individuals seeking information about helping the foundation in its mission can call him at 928-9202699 or send an e-mail to jycwalkathon@gmail.com.