DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – A walk that raises money to help families battling cancer returned to De Pere on Sunday.
It was the fifth annual Jayma Van Straten Memorial Redbird Ribbon Walk at the De Pere High School track. Jayma participated in the first year of the event back in 2022 while she was battling brain cancer. She passed away that summer.
Her husband Dan Van Straten, who organizes the event each year, renamed the event after his wife when she passed away. Each year, families who have battled or are battling cancer and their supporters come out to De Pere’s track to take part in the event.
“I look back at our journey when we were battling, and this whole community supported us,” Dan Van Straten told Local 5 News. “That’s kind of why we like to do this as well, it brings people together, it’s a community. We want to bring people together and hear their stories.”
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The event raises money for the student-run Sting Cancer Club at De Pere High School. The club makes care packages, donates gas cards, and does other activities to help families battling cancer.
“I think people should come out even if they don’t know anyone battling cancer, you meet a bunch of great people,” Sting Cancer Club president Keira Washington told Local 5 News when asked what her pitch would be to folks to come and participate in the fundraiser. “Everyone is nice. Cancer can impact us all, but it’s easier when you have a community (of supporters) and friends.”
Van Straten said that in the first four years of the walk, the event has raised a total of more than $20,000 for the Sting Cancer Club.
Wearing shirts in his memory, Connor Phelan’s family was honored and recognized before the walk began. Connor passed away in the spring of 2025 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. His parents said they’re extremely thankful for the community support through this difficult time and wanted to pay it forward by taking part in the walk this weekend.
“I really don’t have the words for it; it was something (the community support) that I didn’t expect, and it has continued,” Connor’s parents told Local 5 News. “I had no idea the community would be there for us as much as they were. It was fantastic.”
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Van Straten said one of the goals of the walk is to make sure people know that they’re never alone when they’re battling cancer.
“What I find is when people share their story, it’s like a coach bus as you’re driving through the cancer journey, everyone is jumping on that bus with you,” he told Local 5 News. “Hope is something that nobody can ever take away. When families come, they’re remembering those they lost and sharing stories, and it brings a lot of joy to them. People who are here who are battling see this crowd come together and support them.”
“(We’re here) to honor Connor and support this event because they supported us during our journey,” Connor’s parents said.
