Cancer has been part of Bonnie Patterson-Ducharme’s life for as long as she can remember.
Bonnie’s father was diagnosed with cancer in the 1970s, at a time when treatment options were limited and a diagnosis often came with little hope. The disease took his life very quickly, leaving a lasting impact that shaped Bonnie’s perspective from a very young age.
That experience remains one of the biggest reasons she chooses to walk in Mary’s Walk each year. For Bonnie, participating is a way to contribute, even in a small way, to cancer research and progress, so that families today do not have to endure the same level of suffering that so many faced decades ago.
Bonnie first learned about Mary’s Walk after joining Saco & Biddeford Savings. As she looked more closely into the event, she made a deeply personal and unexpected connection. A very good friend of hers has a cousin who was Mary Kerry Libby, the woman in whose honor the walk was created.
It was a connection Bonnie would not have discovered without being part of an institution that places such a strong emphasis on community involvement. That moment made the walk feel even more meaningful and reinforced the importance of supporting causes that are rooted locally but felt widely.
Cancer affects far more than those diagnosed. Bonnie has seen firsthand how deeply it impacts caregivers, family members, and entire communities. In addition to losing her father, Bonnie has also experienced the recent loss of two brothers to cancer. Those losses run deep, and the grief has stayed with her.
Walking in Mary’s Walk has become her way of healing. It is a way to honor the loved ones she has lost, acknowledge the pain that so many carry, and transform that pain into purpose.
Mary’s Walk, held annually in Saco, Maine, is a two-mile walk that raises funds for the Maine Cancer Foundation. The event honors the memory of Mary Kerry Libby, a local resident who passed away from cancer in 1994.
Since its founding in 1999, Mary’s Walk has raised more than $4.6 million to support cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and care for people across Maine. Each year, thousands gather to walk in remembrance, support one another, and move the mission forward.
For Bonnie, walking is about remembrance and hope. It is about saying, “I remember you,” to her father, her brothers, and all those lost to this disease.
It is also about believing in a future where cancer is no longer such a devastating part of so many lives. Until that day comes, she will continue to walk.
Bonnie is deeply grateful to Saco & Biddeford Savings for encouraging employee participation and for supporting initiatives that truly make a difference. Walking alongside coworkers, neighbors, and families who share similar stories serves as a reminder that no one faces this journey alone.
Her part may feel small, but together, each step matters. That is why Bonnie walks.
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