LSU Health Shreveport hosted its fifth annual Cancer Survivorship Walkathon on Saturday, March 28 at Betty Virginia Park, bringing together cancer survivors, students, healthcare professionals and community members for a morning of support, celebration and movement.

The event is led by LSU Health Shreveport students in partnership with the Ochsner LSU-Health Shreveport Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. It was founded by former medical student Tanner Ward, who recognized a need for a community-centered event focused on survivorship, wellness and exercise. More than just a walk, the event serves as a powerful reminder that no one faces cancer alone. 

“For me, I’m a medical student, and I’m also a current cancer patient,” said Nadia Haik, a third-year LSU Health Shreveport medical student and one of the event’s organizers. “It just means the world to have our community come out and support survivors like myself, and to lift everyone up not just during treatment, but in life after treatment.”

Participants walked alongside survivors and their families, while also connecting with medical staff and exploring resources from survivorship programs and local vendors offering products and services for cancer patients.

A highlight of the morning included survivors ringing the park’s survivorship bell. The bell, donated in 2018, is rung to celebrate victory over cancer, honor survivors, inspire those seeking a cure, thank caregivers and remember those lost to the disease.

Haik, who was diagnosed during her first year of medical school, reflected on the importance of community support throughout her journey.

“You definitely can’t do it alone,” she said. “Having this community, especially here at LSU Health Shreveport, makes it a whole lot easier.”

The walkathon is an extension of “Survivor Saturdays,” a weekly walking group held at Betty Virginia Park where medical students and survivors meet to support one another in maintaining healthy, active lifestyles. The group meets every Saturday at 9 a.m. and continues to grow as a cornerstone of survivorship support in the community.

Proceeds from the event, made possible through sponsors and donations, benefit the Wellness & Integrative Medicine Program at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. The program provides comprehensive resources focused on mind, nutrition and movement to help patients transition from treatment to long-term wellness.