RICHMOND, Va. -- The Making Strides Walk returns to Richmond this month for its 23rd year, drawing thousands of participants to one of the largest breast cancer awareness movements in the nation and Central Virginia.
Eileen Hobson, a veteran of the American Cancer Society with 38 years of service, has been involved with Making Strides since its inception.
“It’s not a sad event. It’s an exciting event,” Hobson said. “I have loved it from the very beginning; even after I retired, I came back and volunteered.”
Reflecting on the early days, Hobson recalled how Richmond modeled its first walk after the Boston event.
“Very nervous,” Hobson, who managed logistics, admitted. “It was frightening because who knew that we would be able to get that many people out? This was something where we were asking, we were trying to get 5,000 people to come out and walk in Byrd Park.”
Hobson expressed her hopes for the event’s future, noting the advancements that arise from it.
“There were so many new changes, so many innovations, so much new science, so much new technology that came from events like Making Strides,” she said.
The cause is personal for Hobson, especially in 2023, when her granddaughter, Dominique Lomax, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26 after discovering a lump.
“It is life or death,” Lomax said. “I waited one year before I went and got checked out knowing that I had this lump.”
Dominique emphasized the urgency of early detection.
“This is so serious. This is the most serious thing that’s ever happened to me in my life," Lomax said.
Her treatment journey has included a lumpectomy, 17 rounds of chemotherapy, and she is currently undergoing six weeks of radiation.
The most challenging aspects for her have been the hair loss and the mental and physical fatigue.
“It has been hard, but it has been easy because of the support that I have and the love,” Lomax said.
This year’s Making Strides Walk is particularly significant for the Lomax family.
“I’m so ready to walk. I’m so excited. I’m ready to wear my all pink. And I’m like, Yeah, we are about to have a really good time,” Lomax said.
Dominique plans to share her survivor's story at this year’s event, scheduled for Saturday, October 19.
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