Road race in Concord helps local cancer patients

CONCORD — Think your 2020 was rough? Tell that to Patty Hilton.

Hilton started off her pandemic year in a difficult position. Her career as an assistant manager in grocery stores had long been sidelined by chronic illness, and she had been supporting both herself and her son on the meager income provided by federal disability benefits.

“July of 2020, I found out I was pregnant. August, I found out I was miscarrying. In the middle of all this, I found a lump in my breast,” said the 38-year-old Meredith resident. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, but before she could begin chemotherapy, she had to have five teeth removed, a dental procedure for which she had no means to pay.

The fact that Hilton survived the year is a testament to her resilience, and to support she received from outside sources. One of those principal supporters was the HOPE Resource Center, part of the Payson Center for Cancer Care at Concord Hospital.

Yet, the HOPE Resource Center is in need of some help itself. One of its main fundraisers is the “Rock ‘N Race” 5k event, a walk and run in Concord that’s as much street party as road race, with live bands and food for participants.

The event usually brings in $300,000 to $350,000, but couldn’t be put on last year due to coronavirus restrictions. It’s back on the schedule for May 22 of this year, with some special restrictions in place.

Susan Chase, senior philanthropy officer at Concord Hospital Trust, said the event draws around 5,000 participants, but so far only about 800 have signed up this year.

“I think a lot of people are waiting until 2022,” Chase said. However, the people that need the help that the Payson Center provides can’t wait a year. The race has been going for nearly 20 years, she said, and “it’s become a real workhorse for the cancer center.”

Chase said organizers have done as much as they can to preserve the atmosphere of the Rock ‘N Race. Live music will greet participants as they cross the finish line, there will be prizes and giveaways and individually wrapped food items will also be available. Instead of running on the streets of Concord, the course will start and finish at Memorial Field, which will offer plenty of space for people to spread out. Participants will also be given assigned starting times so that they won’t have to wear a mask while on the course.

“We’ll make sure that it’s very safe, and there is a virtual option for people that want to do that for one more year.” Chase said people who would prefer to can run the course alone, on their own schedule, and submit their time through the website.

The push to revitalize the road race is occurring while Concord Hospital is engaged in another effort, rescuing LRGHealthcare from bankruptcy. Presuming that the latter pursuit is successful, Concord Hospital wants to invite the Lakes Region to engage with community events such as the 5k. “We are serving a lot of people from the Lakes Region,” Chase said. “We would like to have a lot of people come down for the day and participate in the Rock ‘N Race.”

For more information about the event, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/NH/Concord/RockNRace

Financially devastating

Hilton said that her finances were already a struggle before her diagnosis last year.

“The news of having cancer was devastating, financially,” said Hilton. She said the HOPE Center, “came up with so many different resources.” A cancer diagnosis comes with a long list of expenses, both direct and incidental, but it doesn’t come with a pamphlet explaining how to navigate the stormy waters. Of The HOPE Center, Hilton said, “They give you not just a pamphlet, but a whole book.”

The HOPE Center put her in touch with a dental office that would provide discounted services. Even so, she was left with a bill for $3,500, which she had to pay for with a high-interest credit card. The HOPE Center also found a way to clear that debt. They’ve also provided her with gas cards so that she could make it to her appointments, and with gift cards to grocery stores so that she wouldn’t have to stress about feeding her son, or the nephews that she sometimes cares for, “which has been a huge help.”

The cancer found in Hilton’s body is a particularly aggressive one, she said, but the good news was that it was found fairly early. She’s got about another month on her current round of chemotherapy, then there will be an MRI and perhaps surgery, followed by yet more chemo.

It’s an arduous path, but Hilton is encouraged to know she doesn’t have to walk it without help.

Hilton probably won’t have the strength to attend the Rock ‘N Race this year, but, she said, “I will definitely be going after this is all over with. I want to give back and help an amazing foundation that has kept my family afloat during a really difficult time. That’s what I would want to say to people: what you are doing and the support you are giving is helping people through tough times they weren’t expecting.”

Brennan Pike, Hilton’s 9-year-old son, chimed in for the last word. “Thank you to the HOPE Center and the people who donate to it.”