Student-athletes and coaches from the athletic program at SUNY Old Westbury joined with hundreds of others on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at Jones Beach State Park for the annual Lustgarten Foundation Walk.
The Old Westbury students and employees were part of a throng of supporters who laced up to stride towards a cure for pancreatic cancer. The campus contingent was participating in honor of the late Calvin O. Butts, III, the fifth president of SUNY Old Westbury who passed away last fall from pancreatic cancer.
"Our students and coaches really came out strong to remember and honor Dr. Butts," said Athletic Director Lenore Walsh. "Walking with all those who assembled was a really heartwarming display of unity and hope for better days in the face of this disease."
The Lustgarten Walk is held annually to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research with the ultimate goal of transforming pancreatic cancer into a curable disease.
President Emeritus Butts had served as the institution's president from 2000-2021 while also being recognized as a national leader on issues of human rights, education, community development and more as the senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City.