22nd annual Lois Orange Ducoeur Breast Cancer Walk set for Oct. 11

The event will be held at Palmer Park in Donora this year.

For the MVI

Plans are underway for the 22nd annual Lois Orange Ducoeur Breast Cancer Walk. The one-mile walk will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 11 at a new location — Palmer Park Pavilion No. 1 in Donora.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the walk starting at 10 a.m.

A $20 registration fee directly supports breast cancer patients at Penn Highlands Mon Valley by providing much-needed comfort items to them. There is no fee for children ages 12 and younger to participate.

Gather friends, family and neighbors — there will be activities for everyone, including commemorative ribbons, basket raffle, 50/50, games, prizes and more. Prizes will be awarded for the pinkest outfit and best T-shirt.

For those who can’t participate in the walk, consider serving as a sponsor or have a business or organization donate a basket for the raffle.

This event commemorates Lois Orange Ducoeur, a remarkable woman born in Charleroi in 1911. Lois and her husband, Fernand “Duke” Ducoeur, jointly managed their family business, Orange’s. During World War II, while Duke served in the U.S. Merchant Marines, Lois courageously raised their children and ran the store. In 1955, Lois was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. She bravely fought the disease for a decade before succumbing to it in 1965.

As Lois’ granddaughter, Rebecca Brown, has said, “We fight for our mothers, daughters, sisters, and all our loved ones. The walk brings us together as a community because no one fights alone.”

For more information or to register, visit www.phhealthcare. org/ducoeur.