Cancer awareness walk on March 6

Sri Lanka Cancer Society and Hospital Executive Committee Member Ajantha Wickramasuriya, Committee Member and Cancer Survivor Sarath Piyaratne, Cancer Institute Senior Consultant Surgeon Dr Indrani Amarasinghe, Sri Lanka Cancer Society Vice President Mannakkara and ‘Walk 4 Cancer’ Event Director Haadia Galely.

Friends and family members of cancer victims and survivors will participate in a Walk for Cancer on March 6 at 4.00 pm from Town Hall to Green Path. Organised by the Sri Lanka Cancer Society, the main aim of the walk is to raise awareness that cancer can be overcome with early detection and timely treatment.

Sri Lanka Cancer Society Chairman A J B Anghie said: "A majority of people in our society still fear cancer, as it is considered to be a fatal disease. We want to change that perception and educate people that cancer is merely a diagnosis and can be treated and cured if detected on time.

"We hope that the walk will create this awareness and encourage people to take the necessary steps for early detection or prevention."

This walk symbolises the support system and the strength of friends and family towards this cause. The organizers hope that people from all walks of life will support its efforts to fight this disease that has had an effect, either directly or indirectly on every family in society.

After the conclusion of the walk, there will be a street parade with performances by musicians, dancers, street theatre groups, and others. The day's events will conclude in a Hawker Street Food Fair on Green Path in Colombo 7. The proceeds from the walk will be utilised to continue the varied projects that are under way, and for those in the pipeline.