The 12^th Annual Amanda Hichkad CCA Celebration Walk held this weekend raised more than $115,000 for Cancer LifeNet, bringing the cumulative total raised to more than $1.4 million over the past 12 years.
 
This annual event, held along the perimeter of the turf field at The John Carroll School in Bel Air, brought together 500 members of the community to honor, celebrate and remember loved ones, friends and neighbors who are impacted by cancer. Nearly 1,000 donors supported the walk. Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland was the Presenting Sponsor.
 
The Streett Family of Rich and Karen Streett and their children Summer, Spencer and Sydney, was recognized at the walk as the Kaufman Cancer Center’s 2025-26 Honored Family Advocates. Karen received cancer treatment at the Kaufman Cancer Center over the past year and was declared cancer free in early 2025. “The services that Cancer LifeNet provides are indescribable,” Karen said. “They became, and still are, a lifeline for our family.”
 
“Thanks to the many donors, volunteers and supporters of the Amanda Hichkad CCA Celebration Walk, Cancer LifeNet continues to provide a free-of-charge lifeline for all local cancer patients and their families. Funded fully by philanthropy, Cancer LifeNet offers a safe and nurturing environment to help folks with each stage of their cancer journey,” said Jay Young, Esq., Board Chair of the UM Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation. “This event continues to make a significant impact, right here in our community, by supporting the incredible work done by Cancer LifeNet to assure local cancer patients and their families that they are not alone as they undergo their cancer treatment.”
 
It’s not too late to make a donation to support Cancer LifeNet through this fundraising effort. Donations are still being accepted at uchfoundation.org.
 
Cancer LifeNet, located at the Kaufman Cancer Center at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UM UCMC) in Bel Air, provides support services to help patients and their loved ones find the resources needed to balance work, family and cancer treatment. Nurse navigators, social workers and other specialists work alongside people diagnosed with cancer and their families to create a safe and nurturing environment to help them with each stage of their cancer care. These free-of-charge, supportive care programs are offered to residents of Harford and Cecil counties, regardless of where they receive their cancer treatment. The program's $1 million annual operating budget is funded solely through philanthropic support.
 
Over the past year, nearly 2,400 people have benefited from the various programs and services provided by Cancer LifeNet. Since its founding 19 years ago, more than 22,000 cancer patients and family members have used the more than 300 free-of-charge services provided by Cancer LifeNet. The UM Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation partnered with the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance in 2014 to establish the walk fundraiser to benefit Cancer LifeNet.