Editor and Publisher
Southwest Chicago Post
Eight years after a teenager
from West Lawn lost his battle
with cancer, the memory of his magnetic
personality still brings smiles to the faces of his family and friends.
 |
| Andrew Smialek in high school. |
They also continue, in his name—Andrew Smialek--to bring
smiles and hope to teenagers struggling with cancer and blood diseases.
Their main fundraiser, the eighth annual “Walk It Out For Andrew” (WIOFA) 5k walk, is set for Saturday, June 17 at West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St. All are
invited to the fun, family-focused event.
Check-in is at 10 a.m., and the walk
starts at 10:30. It lasts 45-60 minutes, and then an upbeat celebration—including
food, games, raffles and live music--runs until about 2 p.m.
Pre-registration is now closed, but
all are welcome to simply show up to the event, pay a $30 registration fee and
walk with others. For details, visit wiofa.org.
“Andrew was a spark plug, the type
of guy who always lightened the mood and brought joy to others, even through
his [5 ½ year] battle with cancer,” said his friend, Dan Ciaglia. “When he
walked into a room, you knew he was there—even if you didn’t see him right
away.”
Ciaglia, today a marketing executive
for Easterseals, grew up with Smialek in West Lawn, attending the same
schools—St. Mary Star of the Sea and then St. Rita High School.
He serves on the board of the non-profit Walk It OutFor Andrew, which leads an annual effort to raise at least
The support groups organize activities for patients,
such as attending Chicago Blackhawks and White Sox games, downtown dinners and
other fun outings. The outings “are essential in helping the teens regain a
sense of normalcy and provide a fun, social and supportive escape from the
harshness of treatment,” according to a WIOFA statement. As the sole sponsor of
the groups, WIOFA covers all costs associated with the trips.
“These trips give kids a chance to step away from
the hospital, to enjoy themselves and have their spirits lifted, to just be
kids for a second,” Ciaglia said. “That’s what Andrew wanted--to just feel like
what he was, a normal kid.”
About
Andrew
Smialek
was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2004, barely a month after graduating
from St. Mary Star of the Sea School. By all accounts, he bravely fought the
disease all through his years as an active student at St. Rita High School, finally
succumbing in November 2009, while he was a freshman at DePaul University.
His
family and friends say that he will always be remembered for his strength,
courage and, above all, love for life. Smialek never let his struggles bring
him down, his family and friends have said, and he consistently brought joy to
all who knew him.
“That’s
the type of person Andrew was,” Ciaglia added. “All through his fight with
cancer—the remission, the return [of the disease], he never gave up. He lived
life with a passion, like he was determined to make every day count, and he
did. I think he lit a fire in everyone who knew him. He died, but before he
did, he taught us how to live.
Andrew's friends--talented, dynamic and big-hearted--have produced videos in recent years about the "Walk It Out" effort. Here are a few of them:
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