By Gianni Martinez
Carol Campillo standing tall and looking over the brighter, more pink future. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
On Oct. 22, 2026, the Parks and Recreation Department for the City of Tucson hosted The Armory Park Center’s 4th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in central Tucson, Ariz.
Carol Campillo hosted this event for the fourth year in a row and this was the first year she was able to get local vendors from past health events to come and donate their time and resources at this event for seniors and their families.
“I was walking in the park with a senior and she was telling me she had breast cancer so we started talking about walking,” she said.
The Tucson Fire Department in support of the breast cancer walk along with therapy dog Ember. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
It all started with an idea that a member of the senior center had and Campillo decided to make change in her community. Most senior citizens who participate in the walk may not be able to walk for long. However, Campillo liked the idea of a short, brisk walk around the Armory Center lapping around the building from start to finish.
“We started off with 30 to 40 people and now it’s grown four years later,” she said.
Members who work at the center participate in handing out snacks and beverages, and this year, thanks to all the vendors who came, they were able to hand out pink merchandise and information for the senior community and their families.
Dependable Health Services booth handing out fun pink merchandise and snacks. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
“We get donations of snacks to give out to the walkers and families from El Triunfo Bakery, it’s a mexican bakery on the south side. Shout out to them!” she said.
The unwavering support of the owner from El Triunfo Bakery allows him to provide pastries and donuts for every year since the start of the event. Having a family member that went through the same thing, the owner supports the cause of this event.
“I want all the families to enjoy a free, fun event. We’re all impacted with some kind of cancer; it doesn’t have to be breast cancer,” she said.
My elementary teacher by the name of Miss K passed away from breast cancer and it affected my entire middle school during that year. From then on, we still remember her name and the growing impact she had on the school and her students.
Aegis in-home support services handing out resources and motivational cards. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
To this day the community garden she planted in the middle of the courtyard can still show her unconditional love for her students and faculty alike. We will always remember Miss K, a beautiful soul that shaped the hearts of the young children she taught.
The love I have for reading was influenced by her and I will never forget the impact she had on my life and the lives of many others. The work Campillo did this day will always be remembered and cherished by many who’ve lost loved ones to the struggle of cancer.
“Anyone is welcomed, every year we have it in October because it is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but we’re here celebrating every cancer,” she said.
Assisted living booth handing out resources to families. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
From piñata makers to local cement trucks decked out in all pink, every vendor was great and Campillo loved all the feedback and support provided by local resources here in Tucson, Ariz.
“The community has really come together and different centers of the city of Tucson have come to support as well,” she said.
This is a beautiful demonstration of how a small community can come together and create big changes. October is the month of breast cancer awareness, but we must also remember the families and friends who’ve lost their loved ones to the fight of all cancers.
“Stick it to breast cancer” sticks in hand as we march for awareness. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
“I do this event for everyone that’s suffering and has lost one of their loved ones as I have with breast cancer. I do it for everybody, people who have passed and people who are here now that are going through it,” she said.
For more information about upcoming events happening in your community, visit the parks and recreation page here.
One step closer to change. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
Haggs of Tucson Dance Troupe modeled after Wolfshager Hexenbrut. Photo by Gianni Martinez.