Deadline is Thursday to add names to UCAN shirts

The UCAN theme for this year's shirts is "God.fidence"

Names for the 2024 UCAN Walk shirt are being accepted until Thursday.

The requirements to submit a name will be that the cancer patient resides/resided within the counties the United Cancer Assistance Network serves, and the person submitting the name will be participating in this year’s event, said UCAN Executive Director Melody Chailland.

Anyone making a nomination will be limited to one person

“Each name has to be submitted each year, we do not carry over from previous years,” she said. “The amount of submissions we can accept are limited, so call 573-776-1892 today, please do not leave a comment or send a private message, we may miss those.”

After Thursday, T-shirts will go into production and no names will be able to be added.

The theme this year is, “God.Fidence, Knowing I Can’t But He Can.”

The walk Saturday, April 27, will honor Sarah Jarboe White, as well as many other cancer patients. White battled cancer with courage and grace, according to UCAN.

The event began in 2012, and “we started putting names on T-shirts in 2015,” Chailland said.

There are no fees to walk. The walk is to remember cancer patients, and raise awareness and funds to help patients battling cancer.

Whoever adds a name must participate in the UCAN walk. The number of names on the shirts varies year to year, but it has always been over 100. There is no cost to add a loved one.

The shirts cost are $15 and $20 each.

All the money used by UCAN is raised locally and, according to Chailland, the group receives no grant funding. The funds assist local cancer patients financially in the form of fuel cards, nutrition, utilities, wigs or transportation. While UCAN fills a financial gap, the program is designed to provide individualized support for patients. When patients come into the UCAN office, they are greeted by volunteers whose lives have been touched by cancer. Often developing personal relationships, volunteers and patients uplift each other during visits, members have said.

Since UCAN is a 501(c)3 organization, donations are tax deductible. Anyone wanting to make donations or memorials may mail or drop them by the office at 2620 N Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff, MO., 63901-3396.