An estimated 200 participants gathered in downtown Scotch Plains on Saturday morning for the annual Rose Checchio PLAY for P.I.N.K. Walk, raising more than $13,500 for breast cancer research.
The grassroots fundraiser brought together survivors, local families, and municipal leaders from Scotch Plains and Fanwood to honor patients and remember loved ones lost to the disease. Led by IHM Parishioner and former Scotch Plains Mayor Al Smith, "Team Smith" mobilized more than 50 walkers and generated $9,000 in donations.
The event honors the late Rose Checchio, a former Scotch Plains deputy mayor who helped establish the walk before passing away from breast cancer in 2018.
All net proceeds go directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through PLAY for P.I.N.K., a national organization that has raised more than $92 million to date.
“Raising more than $13,000 for breast cancer research is an extraordinary accomplishment, and I’m grateful to everyone who walked, donated, volunteered and helped make today such a success. Rose’s legacy continues to bring our community together for an incredibly important cause,” Mayor Josh Losardo said.
