Bellingham Brain Cancer Walk Set for May 30
The Bellingham Brain Cancer Walk: Hannah’s Walk for the Cure will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 at Civic Field in Bellingham.
The non-competitive walk will feature a live band, kids’ zone and speakers. An honor tent will be available to post photos and messages in celebration of survivors or to honor the memory of a friend or loved one.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Chris Elliot Fund, which strives to shorten the gap and time it takes from a patient’s brain cancer diagnosis to receiving advanced treatment and enrollment into clinical trials. Since 2002, the fund has been offering support to patients in many forms including one-on-one care, and ultimately hopes to end brain cancer.
Online registration for the walk is $25 per walker, and can be done now through May 29 at . Day-of registration will be available for $35 at Civic Field on May 30th starting at 10 a.m. Patients walk for free, and donations may also be made online at any time.
A group of students from Western Washington University and Squalicum High School are working alongside a board of volunteers to carry out the event, originally imagined by Hannah Dashiell, and will put on the Bellingham Brain Cancer Walk for the second year in her memory after she was tragically killed in a car accident on January 5, 2014. Envisioned by Hannah as a tribute to her grandfather and a gift to the Bellingham community, the event now also serves to honor Hannah’s memory and the incredible impact she had on all those around her.
Hannah’s father Dennis Dashiell is the assistant director for Organizational and Professional Development in Western’s Human Resources department.
“The hope and community engagement of the Bellingham Brain Cancer walk is exactly what Hannah wanted to see in honor of her Grandpa Jerry. Hannah was such a blessing to this world. It makes Jeannette, Maddy and I so proud to see that she continues to inspire others. The walk really is her true positive light and energy,” Dashiell said.
The students are being mentored by Western Washington University faculty member Heather Davidson of the Communication Studies department, working in conjunction with Dan Purdy, as well as a board of volunteers for the event.
For more information about the event and registration, visit or contact Dan Purdy, director, Western Washington University’s Front Door to Discovery Program at (360) 650-3825 or daniel.purdy@wwu.edu.