03/19/2024
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FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Jan. 14, 2022 – Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation wants the community to get moving for several good causes at once with a new event this year, the Step Up 4 Health and Wellness Expo. This event is the next evolution of the Ribbon Walk, which has officially been retired in its previous form. The new fundraising event will build on the walk’s longtime success to unfurl a larger banner event that will support patients across the Cape Fear Valley Health system.

“For many years, the Ribbon Walk for Cancer has been a fantastic fundraising and awareness event that has profoundly benefitted patients seeking care at Cape Fear Valley Cancer Centers,” said Vice President of the Foundation Sabrina Brooks. “We think we can use our rich history of providing well-executed fundraising events like this and create a new event that will benefit patients in even more of our service lines.”

The Step Up 4 Health and Wellness Expo will be held at Festival Park on Saturday, April 9, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. After the pandemic forced the 2020 Ribbon Walk to be held virtually and then led to the cancellation of the 2021 walk, organizers are thrilled to see a return to in-person fundraising events for the entire family.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our lives and businesses in more ways than one, but something that has remained constant is the exceptional care that Cape Fear Valley Health has continued to provide to our community,” said Brooks. “That’s why we want to showcase more of the services that our great health system has to offer. We think the community will be just as excited as we are by this new name and vision for this fundraiser.”

The expanded event will still include an excuse to tie on your tennis shoes, with a 4k and a 1-mile race through downtown Fayetteville, as well as more activities throughout the Wellness Expo in Festival Park, where both routes will end. Participants can join as teams or individuals. Teams are encouraged for local business employees, running clubs, churches, community groups, sorority and fraternity groups, and in honor or remembrance of a loved one.

The Wellness Expo part of the event will be free and open to the public, no registration required. After the event kick-off at 8 a.m. the Wellness Expo will begin. This health-related educational festival will feature informational booths on many Cape Fear Valley Health services as well as food trucks, music, and sponsor tables. Participants can learn about hands-only CPR, get free wellness checks and other goodies.

Participants in the 4k or 1-mile routes can still choose Friends of the Cancer Center as the beneficiary of their registration fee if they wish to continue their traditional support from the original Ribbon Walk. Runners and walkers can also choose to support Children’s Services, the Community Alternatives Program, Cumberland County Medication Access Program, Heart Care, or Pediatric Endocrinology. Each of these services directly impact patients’ lives.

“This is going to be one of the most important fundraising events in our community since we have the opportunity to support several different patient-care areas at Cape Fear Valley Health,” Brooks said. “After two years of being unable to have an event like this in person, we’re back, and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.”

Participants who register by Saturday, Jan. 22 at 11:59 p.m. EST and enter code “newyear22” will pay a registration fee of only $22! Otherwise, registration is $30 for adults and $25 for children. All registered participants will receive a t-shirt. To register, go online to www.cfvfoundation.org/stepup4health.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the Wellness Expo, which include an opportunity for a sponsor’s booth at the event. For more information on sponsorships, contact Kristen Sellan at (910) 615-1514, or ksellan@capefearvalley.com.

Media contact for Cape Fear Valley: Chaka Jordan, 910-615-6098 or cgjordan@capefearvalley.com.

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