Take Steps to Save Lives at our 2nd Annual Long Island 5K Run/Walk on November 3, 2019 in Long Island's Eisenhower Park.

Don't miss our Long Island event featuring a live DJ, pre-race warm-up & stretch, a professional announcer, one-of-a-kind ECAN event gear.   

To make sure everyone gets the most out of their 5K experience, ECAN has adapted the popular Couch to 5K training program.  We'll be with you every step of the way as you prepare for the event.  Whether it's your first 5K or you haven't run in a while - we have a plan and a community to support you as you get ready!  We promise an amazing time with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and other charitable individuals like yourself who are willing to take STEPS to SAVE LIVES!

View the Course Map Here

​meet our long island steps to save lives chair michele capaccio

My father, Robert Hicks was a hard-working Vietnam Veteran who loved his family. He was intelligent, artistic, and had a heart of gold. He was so selfless that he volunteered to go to Ground Zero to restore phone lines for more than two months after 9-11. He was told the air at the site was safe to breathe, unaware of what would follow.

In Spring of 2017, he had symptoms of a gallbladder attack. But after his gallbladder was removed, the pain, difficulty swallowing, and weight loss persisted. Scans and biopsies showed he had Stage IV Esophageal Cancer at the gastroesophageal junction.  My dad began chemo July 2017. He did well and made very good progress in the beginning. He had a positive mindset and was eating normally again. This gave us hope that perhaps he could beat the odds.

The journey was a rollercoaster ride. By October 2018 his symptoms resurfaced. Eventually, he was living on Boost shakes and then completely lost his appetite. He became weaker and fell frequently.  My smart, strong Dad started to wither away.  On our final visit with the oncologist, we learned that the cancer had spread to his bones and to the orbit of his left eye. She told us that there was nothing more that they could do. He was admitted first to the hospital, then in-patient Hospice. On June 3, 2019, 5:55 am he took his last breath.  He was 70 years young.

My Dad's diagnosis taught me not to worry so much about the little things and not to take things for granted. It also made me a better Physician Assistant. Now, I educate my patients and keep an eye out for red flags. Esophageal Cancer is usually silent in the early stages.  That's why most patients, like my Dad, are diagnosed at late, hard-to-treat stages.  I am chairing this year's Long Island Steps to Save Lives 5K because I want to increase research funding and raise awareness to save lives!