Paper City Food Festival presents the Rich Perez Walk!

Description

Every year, the Paper City Food Festival raises money, awareness, and donates 100% of its proceeds to a Holyoke family impacted by cancer. This year, we will be honoring Rich Perez in our first annual Rich Perez Walk. 100% of the walk's proceeds will go directly to the Perez family. 

In November 2021, Rich was diagnosed with cancer - stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma - marking the beginning of a challenging and courageous battle. Over the past few years, he has undergone three different treatments plans, which have included countless rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. He has also bravely faced not just one, but two stem cell transplants. The second transplant (bone marrow transplant) took place just a few weeks ago. His cancer has been described as resistant, which explains the need for numerous and ongoing treatments. We are hopeful that this most recent treatment will pave the way to a complete remission. But Rich is so much more than just his cancer diagnosis. He is a husband and father of two. Another title he holds dearly is Coach. He started coaching basketball about 7 years ago for his beloved city of Holyoke. His passion for the game began many years ago, when he was a player himself. Despite the challenges of his cancer treatments, he has continued to coach whenever possible, stepping in between treatments and even during them. Cancer has impacted every aspect of our lives- physically, emotionally, and financially. It has required us to adjust our plans and priorities, forcing Rich to take a step back from his career and passion for coaching. The treatments have taken a physical toll, while the financial burden has added extra strain to our family. Yet, despite these challenges, Rich’s strength and resilience have never wavered. He continues to be a loving father, husband, and mentor, finding ways to persevere through the toughest of times. The Comeback is Always Stronger than the Setback… Let’s Go Champ! ⁃ The Lopez-Perez Family