SEATTLE — Sarcoma is a rare cancer that can affect people at any age, anywhere in their body, including bones and connective tissue. The Northwest Sarcoma Foundation supports sarcoma patients and funds research. Its largest annual fundraiser, the Dragonslayer Walk, will be held at Seattle’s Magnuson Park on September 21.
“It is an opportunity for the sarcoma community to come together and meet and greet each other, have a good time, go on a walk and raise funds for a very important cancer,” said Jo McNeal, executive director of NW Sarcoma Foundation.
Christi Duboiski is a 26-year sarcoma survivor. She’s currently on a trial drug that is keeping her tumors from growing rapidly.
“By doctor’s orders, we’re frontloading our fun and living in between the scans,” Duboiski said. “It brings me to the fun that’s happening with the Dragonslayer Walk.”
Clinical trials are made possible through research, and a portion of money raised at the walk funds impactful research.
“There’s a lot of smaller nonprofits out there that are funding a lot of research so they (clinical trials) can continue to happen,” McNeal said.
The NW Sarcoma Foundation also provides grants that help patients pay for needs that insurance doesn’t cover, gives care packages to anyone diagnosed with sarcoma in the Pacific Northwest and hosts support groups.
“It is a rare form of cancer that is anywhere, anytime,” McNeal said. “It’s very unheard of. Many people understand the word sarcoma as a cancer but may not realize what that may mean.”
Because the cancer is so rare, patients may not know anyone else in their lives who has been affected by sarcoma. That’s one of the reasons the Dragonslayer Walk is so important.
“When I went to the walk, I finally found a community of people who also had similar experiences as I did,” Duboiski said. “They’re rare. There’s not a lot of us out there.”
Visit the Dragonslayer Walk website to learn more about participating and helping to raise critical funds to support the NW Sarcoma Foundation.
Sponsored by Northwest Sarcoma Foundation
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.