Message from Councilwoman Elizabeth Stamler | September 22, 2023
I hope you are marking your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 30, as Scotch Plains residents will once again take to the streets in and around our downtown to help raise money for breast cancer research.
The annual Rose Checchio Walk to Wipe Out Breast Cancer, through Play for P.I.N.K., steps off at town hall, 430 Park Ave., at 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
Click here to register or to donate. If you can’t make the event, there are other Play for P.I.N.K. events in the area this fall. Click here for the latest schedule so you can play a part.
The annual walk is in memory of Councilwoman Checchio, who died in October 2018 after a long battle with breast cancer. She launched the annual walk to support P.I.N.K.’s (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge) efforts to fight breast cancer.
Checchio served nearly four years on the township council, fighting through pain and fatigue to better Scotch Plains for everyone. The councilwoman was involved in many programs, such as starting the Scotch Plains Garden Club, the annual and popular Trunk or Treat and development of the community garden.
Checchio, like so many others who have fought a brave battle against breast cancer, knew the importance of research. She voiced support for Play for P.I.N.K., which is doing its part to speed advances in breast cancer detection, treatment and survivorship.
From exploring ways to prevent the disease to learning why some families are more susceptible, we know more about breast cancer today than ever before. By funding research, doctors are able to improve care, produce better outcomes, and transform lives.
Play for P.I.N.K. was launched in Bergen County in 1990, and now spans far and wide. The Scotch Plains event is one of hundreds of similar fundraisers held throughout the year across the country. These walks, and other events like golf and tennis outings, raise more than $5 million each year.
Play for P.I.N.K. now supports events in 30 states across the country, with more than 30,000 annual participants turning their passion for lifestyle pursuits into substantial support for research. To date, Play for P.I.N.K. has raised nearly $75 million and currently supports 19 scientists at leading academic medical institutions around the world who are conducting groundbreaking research.
All money raised through Play for P.I.N.K. is directed to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the largest private, non-profit funder of breast cancer research—and metastatic breast cancer research—worldwide. It is considered the highest-rated breast cancer research organization in the country.
When you participate in this upcoming event in Scotch Plains, you not just raising money and awareness. You are also helping to fund critical hours in the lab. More time for research means longer, healthier lives for the ones we love.
So, please join us on September 30!
Adults can sign up before the event for a reduced registration fee of $25. Day-of sign-ups will be $30 for adults and sign-ups for kids 12 and under will be $10.
For further information, please contact co-chairs Margaret Heisey at
