Somerton Walk Raises Funds For Local Cancer Patients
More than 100 people participated in the Josefina Yepez Cancer Walk a Thon on November 29, 2025, a 10 kilometer fundraising walk to assist Yuma County residents with cancer related household expenses. The event, now in its 19th year, highlights ongoing gaps in financial support for patients and the role of community driven assistance.
On November 29, Somerton residents and regional supporters gathered for the annual Josefina Yepez Cancer Walk a Thon, walking a 10 kilometer route from the San Luis Walk In Clinic to Cocopah Casino and back to raise funds for families coping with cancer related financial strain. Organizers reported more than 100 participants in this year s event, which has operated since 2007 in memory of Josefina Yepez.
The walk is intended to help financially strapped cancer patients and their families pay household expenses that are not covered by medical insurance, such as rent, utilities and groceries. The Yepez family emphasized the grassroots nature of the effort and its long term impact. Yesenia Grajeda Yepez, the granddaughter of Josefina Yepez, explained why the family started the annual fundraising walk, "We noticed that...it's really hard with all the funds and so in her memory. Literally a few months after she passed, we started our first Walk a Thon [back] in 2007 and ever since then, we've been able to help over 100 people."
The 2025 walk marked the 19th year the family has hosted the event, a continuity that reflects both persistent community need and sustained local civic engagement. For many participants the event serves as both a fundraiser and a public health statement about the broader problem of financial toxicity in cancer care. When medical bills and household costs compete, families may delay treatment, miss appointments or face housing instability, outcomes that can worsen health disparities across Yuma County.
Local public health providers and advocates say community based efforts like the Yepez walk fill immediate gaps, but they also underscore the need for policy solutions that reduce out of pocket burdens for vulnerable patients. As the holiday season approaches many families in Yuma County continue to balance care and basic needs, and the walk s organizers hope the visibility and funds generated will sustain assistance for those most directly affected.
