A walk raising cash for a cancer charity attracted more than 1,100 participants, who braved miles of mud yesterday morning.

Teams of families, friends and co-workers attended the 36th Annual Pals Cancer Walk, which let attendees choose their own routes along the Railway Trail from the charity’s centre in Devonshire.

Colleen English De Grilla, the executive director of Pals, said that this year had been one of the largest turnouts they had ever seen.

She added: “This is one of our biggest fundraisers and, like I said to the participants, their paying to register helps us help cancer patients.

“A lot of people do it in memory of someone who passed away throughout the year.”

Somersfield Academy brought more than 150 participants in honour of their late classmate Eoghan Homan, who died last year, aged 16.

His parents, Colm and Niamh Homan, completed the 10km version of the walk with their daughter, Aisling, in his memory.

Mrs Homan said she felt “very honoured” to see so many of her son’s peers complete the walk in his name.

She said: “I think he would have loved to see this because he was such an athlete and such an outdoorsy person.”

Mrs Homan said that the island lacked awareness about childhood cancer because it was such a sensitive topic to discuss.

She added that keeping Eoghan’s memory alive was her way of combating this lack of awareness, to remind others that even children can suffer from cancer.

“We just need to be aware,” she said.

Mr Homan, who spoke to the crowd at the start of the event, admitted that he did not know much about what Pals did until his son became sick.

He added: “While we were here, Pals showered us with support, with Shameka, Waynette, Julie and Dr Alikhani always being very responsive, very practical with medical care, but also acting as an emotional support for my wife, Niamh, and I.

“Whenever I am having a tough day now, I ask myself ‘WWED?’, ‘What Would Eoghan Do?’

“This gives me strength to never, ever give up and to just keep going.”

LaVerne Scott, from Pembroke, completed her 18th year participating in the walk.

She told The Royal Gazette that she walked for several people in her family whom she had lost to cancer, particularly her sister and father.

Ms Scott said that it was important to “look back at what they went through” to remind ourselves of the need for cancer support.

She added: “We have to think of helping others who are going through the same thing.

“It feels so good to see so many people show up – it reminds you of how many families have been affected and how many people care.”

Ms Scott said that Pals walks and other cancer fundraisers had always been emotional times for a lot of people.

But she added that because there was solidarity among participants, they also came with palpable joy.

Ms Scott said: “It is so, so joyous to see this.”

Sharon Alikhani, the medical adviser for Pals, said that the event was very “poignant and emotional” because many participants had personal investment in their cause.

She explained: “We are all walking to remember someone and for us at PALS, we remember a lot of people.”

Dr Alikhani urged people who lost loved ones to remember them when they were well rather than while they were sick.

She said: “When we’re sick or faced with a health issue, we often immediately focus on the dying bit and we forget that we’re actually on Earth to live.

“There are some things that are out of our control and there are some things that are within our control. If we can control the fact that every single day we try to live our best day, then we’re focused on living.

“I try to tell people ‘don’t focus on the final, focus on the right now and be present’.”

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