The Christus Trinity Mother Frances Foundation launched its first Sisters in Hope Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in Tyler on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The event at Bergeld Park united 400 registered participants, known as cancer warriors, survivors, and supporters, to raise funds for treatment access at the Christus Health Ross Breast Center. All proceeds from the $15 to $30 registration fees are dedicated to providing free services for individuals facing access challenges.
Funds generated by the walk will support essential services such as mammograms, biopsies, and treatment for low-income or uninsured individuals. The Ross Breast Center, a specialized facility established in 1997 by Bonnie Ross and Vera Jones, also deploys mammography buses to reach patients in rural East Texas communities. The walk, held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, honored the legacies of Ross and Jones.
Robin Rowan, executive director at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Foundation and a breast cancer survivor, along with Katie Reese, program manager for philanthropy, organized the event. They noted that Tyler had not hosted a large breast cancer walk since before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and aimed to revive community support and awareness. Rowan, a personal friend of Bonnie Ross, expressed her inspiration from Ross's founding of the center to guide other women through their breast cancer journeys.
Despite a sprinkling rain, participants gathered at 8 a.m. dressed in pink ponchos, celebrating survivorship and raising awareness. Walkers honored both survivors and those lost to breast cancer by writing names on their walking numbers or placing them on designated trees within the park. Reese and Rowan observed that the significant turnout for this first-time foundation event reflected the generous spirit and resilience of the Tyler community, with Rowan remarking, “This is just the beginning.”
Reese detailed that “access challenges” encompass a variety of barriers, including lack of insurance preventing individuals from affording mammograms, or geographical distance for those in rural communities who cannot travel to Tyler for appointments. The foundation’s objective is to dismantle these obstacles, ensuring everyone can obtain timely healthcare. She emphasized that routine checkups and early detection are crucial for saving lives, a point underscored by data from the National Library of Medicine indicating that approximately one in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime, and lower income levels significantly increase mortality risk.
Sister Malgorzata “Margo” Majszczyk, a Catholic chaplain and member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the religious congregation that founded the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System, shared her five-year journey as a breast cancer survivor. She highlighted the profound importance of support from others during such a diagnosis, noting how crucial her “sisters in hope” were. Laura Willits, another attendee and survivor, expressed hope and the importance of community unity. Reese echoed this sentiment, praising the strength of survivors and the collective power of women coming together.
The Christus Trinity Mother Frances Foundation intends for the Sisters in Hope Walk to become an ongoing initiative, continuing to raise funds and awareness to support equitable access to breast cancer detection and treatment across East Texas.
