Annual Wilmot Survivors Night with the Rochester Red Wings inspires local cancer community

Social support can make a huge difference for a person living with cancer, and supporting one another is the theme behind Survivors Night at Frontier Field, an annual event hosted by UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute. This year’s event takes place Friday, Aug. 10, as the Rochester Red Wings take on the Charlotte Knights.

The goal of the event is to celebrate life despite cancer. Anyone impacted by cancer is invited as well as all Wilmot and University of Rochester employees.

“It’s inspiring to see so many people – survivors, families, friends, doctors, and nurses – who have been affected by cancer come together like this,” says Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc., director of Wilmot Cancer Institute. “Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a devastating experience, and being able to take an evening to enjoy a baseball game surrounded by hundreds of others who’ve been through it and to appreciate life’s simple joys together – it’s amazing.”

Tickets cost $4 each and each participant receives a Wilmot Warrior Walk T-shirt.

In fact, it was that T-shirt that inspired Margaret Jane Lowery after her own cancer diagnosis.

About a week after learning she had stage 4 cancer, she was watching the news and saw scores of people at Frontier Field wearing their Wilmot Warrior Walk shirts.

“It showed a lot of people on the field,” she says. “They explained about it and I thought, ‘Hey, that would be a good goal, to get the T-shirt and be on the Red Wings field.’”

A year later – after six chemotherapy treatments, 10 radiation therapy treatments and a minimally invasive surgery to remove about one-third of her colon – Margaret is ready to officially achieve that goal by walking onto the field at her first Survivors Night on Aug. 10.She plans to attend with her daughter, Rebecca, and her son, Jeffrey. Both were by her side throughout her treatment for cancer.  

“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away,” she said with a laugh.

Gates open at 6 p.m. with the game starting at 7:05 p.m. Fireworks follow the game. Those impacted by cancer are invited to participate in the pre-game survivors parade on the field. To help carry the flag to the field, participants should arrive by 6:15 p.m. and meet by the Sweet Spot, near right field.

To order tickets, contact Katy Hanrahan at (585) 455-8591 or mkphanrahan@gmail.com. Tickets may also be purchased online.

Questions about Survivors Night can be directed to Stephanie Sheets at (585) 276-4715.