Hundreds of cancer survivors, patients, families and community supporters turned the Long Beach shoreline into a sea of tutus and color Saturday, walking 3.1 miles for the 26th Annual Team Spirit Long Beach Cancer 5K. The event aims to raise money for psychosocial cancer programs at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center, with organizers pushing toward a $250,000 fundraising goal.
Participants dressed in vibrant tutus and colorful costumes gathered along the shoreline for the walk, according to Long Beach Post. The route included interactive educational booths focused on cancer prevention and early detection, a walk-through inflatable pair of lungs highlighting the importance of lung screenings, and a “Why I Walk” wall where participants posted personal messages honoring loved ones and encouraging people currently in treatment.
Funding Counseling, Peer Support and Symptom Management
Money raised through Team Spirit supports Beat the Odds and Boost the Odds, programs that teach research-based strategies for managing stress, symptoms and treatment-related side effects. The event also funds Women Guiding Women: Cancer Support & Education, which connects newly diagnosed breast and gynecologic cancer patients with survivors who provide guidance throughout treatment and recovery, the Long Beach Post's report notes. Broader MemorialCare support resources include spiritual care, social work, mind-body oncology coaching and yoga, and the organization has said these programs are available to cancer patients and families throughout the community regardless of where they receive treatment.
Mariusz Wirga, M.D., medical director of psychosocial oncology at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, said cancer affects emotional well-being, relationships and a patient's ability to manage everyday life. He said the generosity of event participants helps continue emotional and practical support throughout people's cancer journeys. Psychosocial cancer resources, including counseling, nurse navigation, peer mentorship, support groups and assistance with barriers to care, rely on philanthropic funding to remain available, per the same report.
Survivors Turned Caregivers Share Their Stories
Stacy Byone, a breast cancer survivor who is now a nurse practitioner at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, helps patients navigate the same challenges she once faced herself. Byone said a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming and that people need to know they are not alone, according to the Long Beach Post account of the event.
Gary Purushotham, CEO of MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, said Team Spirit has demonstrated the community's strength and generosity for 26 years, and that community support helps ensure no one navigates cancer alone. Purushotham and Hoda Assadian, COO of MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, presented Maria Carmen with a certificate recognizing her winning entry in the inaugural Team Spirit Long Beach Cancer 5K artwork contest, the outlet reported.
Two Decades of Community Fundraising
MemorialCare has sustained Team Spirit with the Long Beach community for more than two decades, and MemorialCare has said the event has expanded access to psychosocial programs each year since it began in 1999. In 2020, with the 21st annual event forced online, MemorialCare reported broadcasting the walk over Zoom, Facebook and Instagram and raising more than $120,000 net, $30,000 more than the previous year, according to a MemorialCare blog post from that year. By 2023, more than 500 survivors, patients, family members and friends affected by cancer walked in the 24th Annual event, which raised more than $193,000 for support programs, the Long Beach Post reported at the time.
Reports on the fundraiser's lifetime total have varied. MemorialCare's 2024 release marking the event's 25th anniversary referenced funds raised since the first walk, while the Signal Tribune reported the fundraiser has raised $4 million over 25 years. The Signal Tribune also reported that Team Spirit fundraising has helped hire social workers and expand access to psychosocial support programs. MemorialCare is a nonprofit health system that includes four hospitals, two medical groups, imaging centers and surgical centers.
Fundraising for Team Spirit Long Beach continues through the end of December, giving supporters additional time to contribute toward this year's goal.
