Bridge the Gap: Walk for Local Cancer Care
Join us on September 14th for Bridge the Gap: Walk for Local Cancer Care. Together, we’ll cross the Thousand Islands Bridge in honor of cancer patients, survivors, and loved ones we carry in memory. Your steps help bring compassionate care to families in Northern New York.
Hosted by Swan Bay Resort, the event benefits the Compassionate Care Foundation, founded by Monica Behan. The Foundation is dedicated to caring for the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. Funds raised during the walk stay local, supporting neighbors right here in the Thousand Islands. Your donations will directly contribute to the well-being of local cancer patients and their families.
Monica’s vision is simple: medicine treats the body, but healing also depends on care for the mind and spirit. Cancer brings uncertainty, stress, and significant life changes. Medical treatment addresses the disease, but healing takes more.
Why the Thousand Islands Bridge?
The bridge itself is not just a structure, but a powerful symbol. Stretching across the St. Lawrence River, it connects people and places just as Compassionate Care connects patients to strength, dignity, and hope. Walking across with family, friends, and neighbors is a moving experience, surrounded by the vibrant colors of autumn and stunning river views. It's a reminder of the strength we find in unity.
What Compassionate Care Means
Cancer brings fear, questions, and change. Compassionate Care meets these challenges by seeing the whole person, not just the disease. Compassionate Care offers integrative services that alleviate pain, mitigate stress, and promote peace before, during, and after treatment.
Through sponsored programs, patients gain access to:
- Massage therapy
- Reiki
- Acupuncture
- Yoga for Cancer
- Meditation and breath work
- Nutritional counseling
- Support groups
- Cranial Sacral Therapy
- Lymphatic Massage
- Sound Therapy
- Myofascial Release
These therapies can help manage pain, ease fatigue, and reduce anxiety, fear, and depression. Most of all, they give patients and families space to feel seen, supported, and less alone.
This kind of care is not extra, it’s essential. It helps patients stay strong through treatment, supports families under strain, and restores dignity at the most challenging times.
How the Walk Bridges the Gap
Bridge the Gap turns remembrance into action. Each step across the bridge says, "You are not alone". It’s a chance to walk beside others who understand, to honor loved ones, and to give hope through the invaluable support of our community. Your presence and participation make a significant difference.
How to Take Part
Anyone can join. Whether you walk across the bridge, volunteer, or donate if you can’t be there in person, your participation is valued and welcomed. You’re part of a community that believes in Compassionate Care. Join us now and be a part of this inspiring event!
A Day of Community and Hope
Bridge the Gap is more than an event; it’s a tradition of kindness in the Thousand Islands. Together, we walk for healing that extends beyond medicine, for neighbors facing cancer, and for memories that endure with every step.