Lace Up for Local Cancer Care with the Alterna Savings Walk to Fight Cancer
Published Thursday, October 15, 2026
This fall, people across Northwestern Ontario are invited to lace up their shoes and walk together in support of cancer care close to home.
On November 7, the Alterna Savings Walk to Fight Cancer will bring together participants in Thunder Bay, Dryden, Fort Frances and Rainy River. Funds raised in each participating community will support local cancer care through the Northern Cancer Fund.
It's a walk with a simple idea behind it: come together, get moving and make a difference for people facing cancer in your own community.
Whether you walk with your family, gather a team of coworkers, push a stroller, bring your dog along or simply show up to support someone you love, everyone has a reason to walk.
And for Alterna Savings, that community connection is exactly why the event matters.
“As a local credit union, Alterna Savings is committed to building stronger, healthier communities,” said Natasha Zeleny, Director, Member Experience for Ontario North and West Region at Alterna Savings. “Supporting local cancer care means helping ensure that people in our communities have access to the care, resources, and support they need during a very challenging time in their lives. It's about making a meaningful difference close to home and supporting our neighbors when they need it most.”
That idea of making a difference close to home is at the heart of the Northern Cancer Fund.
For people facing cancer in Northwestern Ontario, being able to access exceptional care without having to travel far from family, friends and their support system can make an already difficult time a little easier.
Donations to the Northern Cancer Fund support the highest-priority cancer care needs across the region, helping fund the equipment, technology, programs and resources that make exceptional cancer care possible here in Northwestern Ontario.
And with walks taking place in four communities, participants have the opportunity to make that impact right where they live.
In Thunder Bay, funds raised will support cancer care in Thunder Bay. In Dryden, Fort Frances and Rainy River, funds raised will stay within those participating communities to help address local cancer care needs.
It means every registration, every team and every donation will help make a difference for someone close to home.
Maybe you're walking for someone currently facing cancer. Maybe you're celebrating a survivor. Maybe you're remembering someone you miss. Or maybe you simply want to help make sure exceptional cancer care is there when someone in your community needs it.
Whatever your reason, we hope you'll walk with us.
Mark November 7, 2026 on your calendar, register, start fundraising, grab your walking shoes and join your community in taking steps for local cancer care.
Visit healthsciencesfoundation.ca/alterna to register, donate or learn more.