American Falls student to host 24-hour cancer awareness walk
AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- American Falls High School senior Nicolas Tirado is hosting Lighting New Beginnings, a 24-hour cancer awareness walk starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept 25 at the William Thomas Middle School track in American Falls. The public event, which runs through 6:30 p.m. Saturday night is organized as part of the Oscar Tirado Molina Legacy Project.
The initiative honors Tirado’s father who died in June, 2024, after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. In addition to bringing community members together to walk in solidarity, the event seeks to collect donations to establish a college scholarship for first-generation students.
The scholarship initiative stems directly from Tirado’s family experience. His father left school after middle school to begin working and his mother did not complete a college degree, making Tirado and his sister first-generation students.
“And the purpose of it is also to raise funds for a scholarship I’m trying to create for first-generation students because my dad never got the chance to go to high school,” Tirado said.
The event offers free entry and includes food vendors, live music performances and a track walking challenge to tally the community’s total miles walked for cancer awareness. Quiet hours for reflection and remembrance are scheduled between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., centered around a lantern ceremony where participants can write personalized messages to honor lost loved ones or support those currently fighting cancer.
“I feel like 24 hours, I feel like it’s just us giving a day to raising awareness for the many months that people go through these kinds of things and that have to go through the challenges of cancer and everything,” Tirado said.
Organizing the project required widespread community support across American Falls, Pocatello and neighboring areas. Tirado originally expected to handle the senior project on his own before realizing the necessity of family and community backing as the event expanded.
“I think what I learned most is that at first I thought I could take this on by myself and that I wouldn’t really need my family’s help,” Tirado said. “It was a huge project and like, it became bigger at every step we took.”
Beyond fundraising, the walk aims to provide emotional solidarity to cancer patients, caregivers, survivors and grieving families. “There’s always going to be people who know what you’re going through and understand the feeling of either grief, anxiety, pain, happiness,” Tirado said.
Lighting New Beginnings takes place at the William Thomas Middle School track at 355 Bannock Ave. in American Falls, starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday and concluding at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Tirado plans to continue holding the walk as an annual event in future years.
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