Nearly 600 participants united for this year’s ‘Stake the Lake’ walk against breast cancer

MUNISING, Mich. (WLUC) - Hundreds of people laced up their shoes in Munising to participate in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Saturday.

For years Eric and Danielle Beverly have been supporting lower-income breast cancer patients.

Their foundation's Stake the Lake fundraiser walk in Munising does just that.

Participants have decorated a garden stake around the Munising High school to honor loved ones who have cancer.

Beverly says when they started the walk there were only 100 stakes, now there are close to 600.

"We were at 499 and post-pre-registration yesterday and today we are probably going to go past 600 and never would I have thought that but it's just a testament to our community and our believers and those that support our cause," Beverly said.

Beverly says this event is a fundraiser to benefit the Alger County Chemotherapy and Mammography Program (CHAMP) Fund. She says her foundation has already given out 37 grants this year.

"We just went over the $150,000 mark in terms of what we have been able to give back and it's just a testament again to the support that we are getting from our communities we can give to those that are in need," Beverly said.

Beverly says the money goes to help pay for copays, lodging, meals and anything else they might need.

Eric says he and his wife have beaten breast cancer four times and this walk is one of his ways to give back.

"We were blessed that we didn't have to worry about the financial piece of this but as we got introduced a little bit more into that breast cancer community, for individuals who were fighting cancer at that time," Beverly said. "We learned that when individuals have to worry about life, they don't worry about themselves."

Sue and Dave Passinault created the original Stakes the Lake fundraiser.

Sue says she got the idea to change this event from lunch to a walk just a few years ago.

"One day I saw a guy going through the church with a cross and I said that's it," Passinault said. "We'll have a stake for the survivors and will have a cross for those who lost the battle."

The Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation says they want to once again thank everyone for coming out and showing support.