The Mark Linder Walk for the Mind is celebrating 15 years of bringing survivors of brain cancer together and raising much needed funds for research.
The Walk is named for Mark Linder, a Peoria native who was in his 20s when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Mark’s goal was to create a place where brain cancer survivors and those still fighting the battle could support one another. In 2003, he founded the Walk to help raise money for research in hopes of finding a cure.
While Mark died in 2005, at age 31, the Mark Linder Walk for the Mind lives on and since has raised more than $550,000 for brain cancer research.
The raffle this year includes pizza for a year from Papa Johns and Double A’s Pizza, a one week condo in the Ozarks, Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs tickets, St. Louis Cardinals tickets, and much more.
The Walk has grown from 150 participants in 2003, to 750 people last year. All past honorary chairs have been invited to attend this year. The event is entirely run by volunteers, many of whom are brain cancer survivors. This is the sixth year all net proceeds will be donated to the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria for brain cancer research.