Monmouth County's Ask The Doctor September/October 2018

Komen CSNJ’s MORE THAN PINK Walk Committee Co-Chairs Lead the Way for a Meaningful, Memorable and Exciting Event By Olivia Bonevento

As two longtime volunteers of Susan G. Komen Central and South Jersey (Komen CSNJ), Janet Marzocca and Scott Present go above and beyond in their roles, working side-by-side with staff, survivors, other volunteers and donors to make the organiza- tion’s annual walk event special, memorable and meaningful. “I have been privileged to work with so many wonderful, caring people who work at or volunteer for Komen,” said Marzocca. “From survivors to co-survivors, and vol- unteers who have lost someone to those who just want to do something about breast cancer, they are the most dedicated group of individuals that I am proud to call my friends.” This year, Komen CSNJ will be celebrating 25 years of making an impact in its com- munities with the inaugural MORE THAN PINK Walk on Sunday, November 4 at Six Flags Great Adventure. The event is dedicated to raising funds and awareness, while celebrating survivorship and honoring those who have lost their battle with breast cancer. The MORE THAN PINK Walk is a fresh take on its Race for the Cure series, with a new look and experience that will energize the community around the life-sav- ing work your support makes possible.

Marzocca and Present will be taking the lead on driving this event’s success, helping to connect the community with Komen’s four pillars of impact—research, care, community and action. Their reason to come together for this year’s MORE THAN PINK Walk as co-chairs is simple: they both are dedicated to end breast cancer forever. Janet’s Journey Janet Marzocca, of Jackson, NJ, has been an integral part of Komen CSNJ’s annual walk since its early beginnings, raising funds and awareness that helped drive the fight against breast cancer in central and southern New Jersey. Her involvement in the breast cancer community started in 2004, when she and her friends were getting a group together to walk at Johnson Park in Jackson, NJ. “I lost my Aunt Pat to breast cancer, and I thought getting involved would be a nice way to honor her memory,” said Marzocca. “I heard Nancy Healy [former executive director of Komen CSNJ] speak and I was hooked. We formed a committee and began to raise money for the Komen community.” This committee did so for 10 years and raised over $100,000 for the Komen cause. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 herself, Marzocca felt even more empowered to take action. As a 13-year breast cancer survivor, she has been the perfect person to help lead the survivor tent experience since 2008, ensuring that sur- vivors and those living with metastatic breast cancer have a memorable and moving experience at Komen CSNJ’s annual walk event. She has been a source of knowledge and inspiration for other women and men going through their own journeys with breast cancer. “You need to be your own advocate; research the doctors in your area, and ask people for recommendations,” said Marzocca. “Contact Komen for help if need be, and don’t be afraid to ask; you aren’t alone.” To celebrate her commitment to Komen CSNJ’s mission, Marzocca will be the committee co-chair of this year’s MORE THAN PINK Walk and will be the chair of the new and improved survivor experience, called Hope Village. “I hope all of the survivors and metastatic livers will come to the new Hope Village to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Komen CSNJ,” said Marzocca. “The MORE THAN PINK Walk is going to be very special.”

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ASK THE DOCTOR

SEPTEMEBER/OCTOBER 2018