Making Strides Against Breast Cancer plans first ever statewide event

CONCORD — Cydney Dodge and Rebecca Bunyard, both of Concord, will lead volunteer fundraising efforts, culminating in the first-ever American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer statewide walk in Concord.

In an effort to maximize its collective resources, all Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks in New Hampshire will join forces for one event, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of New Hampshire.

“By combining events from Exeter, Nashua, Manchester, the Greater Lakes Region and Concord, our passion and determination will be amplified, and our resolve in the fight against breast cancer will be strengthened,” said Dodge. “We’re coming together stronger than ever so we can raise awareness, support survivors and their families, and raise money for vital American Cancer Society breast cancer research.”

Dodge became involved with Making Strides in 1994 at the first Concord event, as a team member of “Sarah’s Soldiers,” a team created in honor of her late sister. In addition to participating as a team member, she has served many years on the Volunteer Board of Directors and chaired the event in 2001 and 2002. Dodge is COO at New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and is also a volunteer for CASA of New Hampshire.

Bunyard has been a dedicated team leader for many years, first inspired by her “New Hampshire mom,” Kathy Drake, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. From her roles in marketing and community building, Bunyard brings a wealth of talent, experience, and passion to her new role as co-chair, and looks forward to helping unite walkers and supporters across the state, especially during a year when COVID-19 caused a drop in donations and seriously impacted access to care for many patients.

“Due to the pandemic, research dollars are way down this year and access to care has been interrupted,” Bunyard said.

For information on this year’s event, which will be Oct. 17 at Memorial Field in Concord, go to makingstrideswalk.org/nh, or contact Co-Chair Cydney Dodge at [email protected] or Co-Chair Rebecca Bunyard at [email protected].

The American Cancer Society is helping people with breast cancer today in every community and is working tirelessly to find cures to end the disease tomorrow. Thanks to advancements in treatment and early detection, more and more women are surviving the disease. While progress has clearly been made, breast cancer is still the most commonly-diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S., and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The society’s research programs have played a role in many of the advances that save lives from breast cancer today and is relentlessly pursuing the answers that will save even more lives in the future.