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Harrisburg woman walks for cancer awareness
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Published: October 7, 2009
The 13th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure turned uptown Charlotte streets Pink on Saturday, as close to 15,000 people took part in the event to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this race coincides with a month-long campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer.
This year's expected turnout was the largest of any in the event's history. Participants included a team created by Carolina Panther running back DeAngelo Williams, whose mother, Sandra Hill, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2004.
Harrisburg resident Joanne Parillo, 45, was one of the 495 team members helping Williams raise his goal of $25,000 for breast cancer.
Parillo began her interest in cancer as a research scientist studying genetic engineering, but wanted to be involved with people as an oncology nurse. Now she works for Millennium Pharmaceuticals, a Takeda Oncology Company, and is working on a doctorate degree.
Parillo set a personal goal of $5,000 for Williams' team.
Walking in the 5K was expected to be difficult for Parillo since she suffers from Ehlers-Danlows Syndrome.
EDS is an inherited connective tissue disorder that causes a defect in the production of collagen, which means she has no cushion between her joints.
She started the Charlotte chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
"I do what I can. I do so much. Getting involved wasn't my choice. I was led to it by the Lord," Parillo said.
She likes to do a lot of advocacy for oncology.
"It's like a spider web that you can't get out of. It just gets bigger and bigger."
Why did she choose Williams' team to represent in the race?
"I am a huge Panther fan, and I'm a huge football fan," Parillo said.
Hill didn't tell her son about her cancer at first. Williams said she told him the news after she'd already undergone a double mastectomy and was in remission.
He was attending the University of Memphis at the time.
Williams feels his mother is definitely a rock in his life and that she has been through so much.
His mother told him she'd kept it a secret from him so he wouldn't have to worry about her fight and he could stay focused on school and football.
Williams has started a team for this year Charlotte Race for the Cure Team in honor of his mother.
He called it the Williams Warriors.
"She's a warrior," he said.
Up to 75 percent of the donations are used for local programs and 25 percent is used to fund breast cancer research.
According to the Charlotte Race for the Cure Web site, the event has raised more than $1.3 million, and donations will continue to be accepted through Oct. 31.
If you'd like to make a donation for Joanne Parillo or to donate to "Williams Warriors" go to www.komencharlotte.org.
• Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140
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