For the past five years, over 500 students from Catholic high schools across Portland have hosted an annual Walk for Joy to raise critical funds for Children’s Cancer Association, to deliver the healing power of JoyRx to young patients facing serious illnesses like cancer.
This year, JoyRx is needed more than ever, as families caring for seriously ill children are experiencing heightened isolation, anxiety, and fear due to the global pandemic. So the annual tradition continues—with a new, social distance-friendly twist.
In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Portland-area Catholic high school students will be staging virtual fundraisers for CCA throughout September. Then, on the morning of Sunday, September 27, 2020, participating students will attend an all-schools virtual mass, featuring student speakers who will share stories of the impact cancer has had on their lives. Following the mass, these students and their families will dress in purple and walk the streets of their neighborhoods, with hundreds of Walks for Joy occurring across the Portland metro area.