Walk It Out For Andrew

Andrew, a resident of Chicago’s West Lawn neighborhood, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2004, after graduating from St. Mary Star of the Sea and one month away from his 14th birthday. Over the next five-plus years, Andrew bravely underwent countless treatments, chemotherapy, stem cell and bone marrow transplants. He never let the physical, mental and emotional toll of cancer treatments bring him down because he just wanted to be a normal kid. He was a state champion for the St. Rita Mustangs football team in 2006, was involved in extracurriculars helping other students on campus even after he graduated, and did everything a normal teenager wants to do with their friends. Unfortunately, the cancer continued to come back. Andrew passed away on November 20th, 2009.

Andrew will always be remembered for his strength, courage and, above all, love for life. He brought daily joy to everyone around him, and his selflessness and determination to fight against cancer will forever live on as the foundation for Walk It Out For Andrew (WIOFA).

WIOFA was established in 2010 by Andrew's friends and family. That summer, we hosted our first ever Family 5K at West Lawn Park. In 2012, we began supporting Advocate Children’s Hospital and have forged a longstanding partnership with the Advocate Charitable Foundation and Pediatric Hematology and Oncology teams over the years. This was a special opportunity for WIOFA, as Advocate’s Oak Lawn campus is where Andrew was treated.

Throughout our 14-year history, we have raised over $300,000 for pediatric cancer and blood disease patient support programs. We operate as the sole benefactor of the Teen Hematology and Oncology Support Group at Advocate Children’s Hospital, which is run by Child Life Specialists and Therapists that organize monthly outings for the teen patients all at no cost to their families. The Chicagoland area is home to many unique, world class experiences, sites and attractions enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors from around the world. Think of Support Group Outing as a field trip for the teens we support.