Village Walk for Cancer Research
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • My Account
  • Sign out

  • Home
  • Registration
  • Sponsorship
  • About
  • Hope Request Grants
  • Events
  • Contact
  • In Honor & Memory
    • Current In Honor & Memory
    • Past In Honor & Memory
  • Gallery
  • More
    • Home
    • Registration
    • Sponsorship
    • About
    • Hope Request Grants
    • Events
    • Contact
    • In Honor & Memory
      • Current In Honor & Memory
      • Past In Honor & Memory
    • Gallery
Village Walk for Cancer Research

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • Home
  • Registration
  • Sponsorship
  • About
  • Hope Request Grants
  • Events
  • Contact
  • In Honor & Memory
    • Current In Honor & Memory
    • Past In Honor & Memory
  • Gallery

Account


  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • My Account

Our History

THE VILLAGE WALK FOR CANCER RESEARCH

  

Our Mission –  

To steward resources with integrity and purpose, advancing cancer  research, education, and patient support initiatives. We are committed  to funding innovative projects that lead to meaningful progress in the  prevention, treatment, and ultimate eradication of cancer.


Our Vision –  

A world where cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease -  where every dollar raised accelerates hope, healing and scientific  breakthroughs for future generations.


Our Goal – To grow the amount we raise and the number of participants every year.


Our History


The Village Walk for Cancer Research (WFCR) started in 2002 as the Midge Bates Walk. When Midge was diagnosed with breast cancer, several of her friends (Shirley Engquist, Jan Farnsworth and Kate Williamson) decided to have a walk in her honor to raise her spirits and to promote awareness for breast cancer research at the Arkansas Research Center (now the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS).  In 2004, the walk was renamed the Village Walk for Cancer Research. In 2005, Claire MacNeill became involved. That year with collaboration from the POA Trails Committee  a “Spirit Walk” was held. Participants walked their choice of six trails and raised an estimated $2,000.  In 2010, local Altrusa chapter members stepped up and under Claire's leadership planned and executed the annual Walk event for several years.  In 2012, Claire passed the Village Walk event chair role to Melanie Pederson, a breast cancer survivor, who remained the event chair until 2020.

In 2005, there were less than 100 participants and all were walkers.  By 2021, nearly 400 people participated by walking, kayaking or biking.

The Walk as we know it today was first held at Cortez Pavilion.  It was held there for many years until two things happened.  First, we began to outgrow the Cortez Pavilion and needed a bigger space.  Second, the Balboa Trail was completed.  This is when we moved the Walk to the Balboa Pavilion.


Walk Facts & Figures


  • 95% of participants are Hot Springs Village residents.
  • 34% of those participating in the Walk are cancer survivors.
  • 12% have registered for 4 or more Walks in the last ten years.


In Honor of & In Memory of


Each year we select two people to recognize at the Walk:  a person who is a cancer survivor and someone who recently lost their life to cancer.  Cancer survivors wear a colored shirt at the Walk, and everyone else wears a white shirt.  The color represents a specific type of cancer, and each year we choose a specific cancer to highlight.  person who is a cancer survivor and honor the memory of a person who lost their life to cancer. Claire continued to chair the WFCR until 2011. 


The WFCR Today


The Village Walk for Cancer Research (WFCR) began as a small group of women walking to honor a friend with cancer.  It has evolved from its grassroots origin and a single volunteer-led annual event to an official nonprofit charitable (still volunteer-led) organization hosting multiple fundraising events each year.  In 2021 the decision was made to become our own 501c3 nonprofit charitable organization.  This was completed and the September 2021 walk was the first one held by the Village Walk for Cancer Research, Inc.  A small board of directors was formed and is responsible for ensuring the mission and vision remain the primary focus while exploring ways to grow.

Our first objective has been achieved.  We established the "Village Walk for Cancer Research" endowment fund with the Hot Springs Village Community Foundation to ensure money will be available for cancer research in perpetuity.

Second, we held our first event to recognize and disburse funds raised in 2021 to selected cancer research and special projects.  This occurred in March 2022.


highlighting lung cancer in 2025

Our Policies

To view our Privacy  and Refund Policies, click on the links below

WFCR Privacy Policy (pdf)

Download

WFCR Refund Policy (pdf)

Download

Non-profit Status

The Village Walk for Cancer Research is a 501c-3 non-profit organization, federal tax ID 82-5377663.

Village Walk for Cancer Research

village walk for cancer research endowment

About the Endowment Fund

The Village Walk for Cancer Research has established an endowment with the Hot Springs Village Community Foundation. This ensures our mission will continue in the future. The endowment covers our nominal annual expenses so we can continue to grant all proceeds to cancer research and cancer-related projects. An endowment, unlike most savings accounts, will exist in perpetuity as will the earnings from it. 

Someday, the endowment itself may be sufficient to support grant-making (and not just grants from fundraising in that year). 

Read more about our endowment by clicking link below.

WFCR endowment flyer (pdf)

Download
Help Us Grow Our Endowment - Donate Now

Copyright © 2025 Village Walk for Cancer Research                               1400 DeSoto Blvd, Hot Springs Village, AR 71909  Website by DGC.

Powered by

  • Sponsorship