Willard, Pat Walker Charitable Foundation gives $1.5 million to Hope Cancer Resources

The Hope Cancer Resources Foundation announced Monday (Oct. 27) that it has received a $1.5 million endowment gift from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation^[1] to support the patient transportation program of Springdale-based nonprofit Hope Cancer Resources^[2].

Founded in 1998, the Hope Cancer Resources Foundation supports the programs and services of Hope Cancer Resources. The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation in Fayetteville has supported charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational endeavors across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. The new gift will ensure cancer patients living in Northwest Arkansas will have access to treatment.

“For many cancer patients, transportation is more than a convenience — it is a lifeline,” said Chuck Hyde, president and CEO of Hope Cancer Resources. “This generous endowment gift from the Walker Foundation allows us to sustain and grow our patient transportation services to meet the increasing needs of our community, today and well into the future.”

According to a news release, hundreds of patients face barriers to care because of unreliable transportation or an inability to drive during treatment.

Hope Cancer Resources provides transportation for patients who live in Benton, Carroll, Madison or Washington counties and a 60-mile radius of their treatment center in Northwest Arkansas. In the past 12 months, the organization has driven more than 309,837 miles and provided transportation to 383 patients for daily, weekly and monthly cancer treatment.

“Every mile we drive represents hope and relief for someone facing cancer,” said Jerrie Carter, director of transportation services. “This endowment ensures that no patient in our community will have to face barriers to care – now or in the future.”

Hope Cancer Resources’ programs are free to patients and include patient navigation and education, counseling, support groups, tobacco treatment, transportation assistance, financial support and personal training. The organization also provides cancer prevention education, including sun and UV safety.

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