SHERIE HILDRETH sits amongst the signs and banners from her third annual walk to raise funds for ovarian cancer research.
SHOC value
By Deborah Moon
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With her third annual empowerment walk to battle ovarian cancer in Gladstone Aug. 5, a relatively healthy Sherie Hildreth raised $50,000 for the Cancer Research Institute at Oregon Health and Science University.
To the best of my knowledge, my cancer is in a dormant state,” said Hildreth the week after the walk. “My last chemo was July 2006. I feel great. I have a lot of energy. I’m still teaching.”
Hildreth, a member of Congregation Beth Israel, organized the first two walks while dealing with the side effects of two rounds of chemotherapy to combat the disease she was diagnosed with in October 2004. The Sherie Hildreth Ovarian Cancer Foundation donated $15,000 to the institute in the walk’s first year and $37,000 the second year.
“I’m very excited to put $50,000 in their (OHSU’s) hands,” said Hildreth. “It amazes me what a small community can get together. It’s such a huge success.”
Hildeth, a teacher at Gladstone’s Kraxberger Middle School for nearly 30 years, said that the Gladstone community has rallied around her and the walk each year. Team Lotus Motors/Harley Davidson, the host sponsor, puts on a pancake breakfast for participants each year.
Hildreth’s mother Geri Matin said she enjoys seeing the survivors together at the breakfast in their teal (the ovarian cancer color) t-shirts.
“When they call the survivors to the front, out of the crowd are coming these teal shirts and it hits you in the heart,” said Matin.
This year, the walk drew about 600 people including 30 ovarian cancer survivors and about a dozen skaters from the Rose City Rollers (Portland’s roller derby league for women). The Rollers donated $2,500 to this year’s walk, the result of Hildreth having met ovarian cancer survivor Phyllis Lang, whose grandfather Leo Seltzer invented roller derby. Lang linked the roller derby women with Hildreth, resulting in the donation.
Hildreth sees the increasing number of people at each year’s walk as being just as important as the increase in funds.
“The more people who are there, the more we educate,” she said. “It makes people more aware of ovarian cancer. It’s amazing how many people don’t know anything about ovarian cancer.”
Hildreth takes every opportunity to raise awareness about the disease that is more prevalent among women of Ashkenazic Jewish ancestry.
Each year, the walk includes information tables with handouts about ovarian cancer. She also hands out cards listing ovarian cancer’s vague symptoms whenever she sells her “Hats of Empowerment.”
Hildreth and fellow teacher Cathy Ekerson created and sell the hats so women who have lost hair to chemotherapy can wear an assortment of hats to empower them. Hats are available online at www.hatsofempowerment.com.
Hildreth said she also sells the hats at a booth at the Milwaukie Farmers Market a couple Sundays each month. The market is open through Oct. 28 on Main Street between Harrison and Jefferson.
An information table will also be out at the Bingo fund-raiser Matin is organizing to raise more funds for SHOC Sept. 16. Matin said that the Outback Restaurant in Tualatin has donated the use of their facility for the event.