Residents gathered in Bay Ridge on Sunday morning for the second annual Bay Ridge Colorectal Cancer Walk, an event aimed at raising awareness of the importance of screening and early detection.
Hosted by Dr. Kayane Hanna-Hindy of Gastroenterology Associates, the walk began at Genesis at Xaverian High School, located at 7100 Shore Road, where participants met before setting off on the walk at 11 a.m.
The event partnered with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and its Walk to End Colon Cancer initiative, which supports awareness campaigns and research efforts nationwide. The month of March is nationally recognized as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Participants of all ages gathered at the starting point, many wearing blue and holding signs to honor loved ones affected by colorectal cancer. The walk traveled through Bay Ridge streets before concluding near the school grounds.
Dr. Hanna-Hindy told Brooklyn Paper that she was “honored” to have organized and participated in the event.
“This walk works to raise awareness for people out there regarding screening for colon cancer,” she said. “It’s truly a preventable disease and at 45 years old, everybody should be screened.”
Health experts emphasize that colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when detected early through routine screening. According to the American Cancer Society, while its death rate has dropped by 2% in older adults in the past decade, death rates have been “increasing about 1% per year since the mid-2000s” in people under 55.
Dr. Hanna-Hindy stressed that events like the Bay Ridge walk aim to reduce stigma around testing while fostering support for those currently battling the disease.
“We are excited to have our community members join us,” she said, “and I’m excited to say we’ve raised almost $20,000 for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.”
