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Xavier students to ‘Walk for Hope’
By Sylvia L. White, The Catholic Sun
October 4, 2007
A group of high school girls will be arriving at the Phoenix Zoo at 5 a.m. Oct. 7 — but there won’t be time to monkey around.
The Xavier College Preparatory Spirit Line will be arriving early to energize participants at the annual Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer. After their performance, they’ll join participants in the walk.
The annual walk supports City of Hope, a biomedical research, treatment and educational institution.
According to Monica Gaspar, Xavier Spirit Line coach, Xavier girls first participated in the Walk for Hope in 2000 in honor of Joanna Castro’s mother, who passed away just a few months earlier after a long battle with breast cancer.
Joanna, a 2002 graduate, was a cheerleader during her years at Xavier. Joanna’s father suggested the Spirit Line participate in this particular walk because City of Hope had assisted Joanna’s mother during her illness.
Amanda Dahl graduated in 2001 and was a senior when Joanna’s mother died.
“To do the Walk for Hope brought us together as a team,” Dahl said.
Alexxa Tavlarides, a 2000 graduate, has walked the last two years. Both Gaspar and Tavlarides said that City of Hope’s walk promotes community as well.
“It’s nicer because it’s a little bit smaller” than the popular Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Gaspar said.
Meagan Snedeker, assistant director of development at City of Hope said that unlike the Komen race, all the money collected for the City of Hope walk stays within the organization for research, treatment and education.
While they have received funds from the Komen foundation in the past, City of Hope does not give out funds to other organizations.
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