On Saturday, May 30, hundreds took to the boardwalk in support of Casey Gallagher, as she continues her battle with ocular melanoma, for the annual 5K charitable “Eye” Believe in a Cure awareness walk.
Local resident, Gallagher, was diagnosed with ocular/uveal melanoma in February 2021, beginning a battle featuring a series of different treatments like radiotherapy. Ocular melanoma is a rare type of eye cancer that occurs when the melanocytes in the eye become cancerous. Melanocytes are the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives color to your eyes, skin and hair. The most notable sign is a dark spot on the iris that grows over time.
Although rare, ocular melanoma is the most common type of eye cancer in adults. It occurs in five out of every one million adults under 50 each year. In adults over 50, the incidence increases to more than 20 cases per million each year. Gallagher is battling this disease in her early 30s.
In December 2023, she received heartbreaking news that the cancer had metastasized to her liver, adding more treatments like immunotherapy to the mix, until that stopped working. In December 2025, she started undergoing Ipi/Nono treatment, which took a physical and emotional toll, yet the battle continues. She recently made a move to Florida, expecting to begin an experimental clinical trial, but received the news that the doctors didn’t want to move forward with the treatment as her cancer cells aren’t growing, so she’ll be switching gears and undergoing Hepzato treatment to tackle the liver cancer.
Amid all of those changes, on Saturday, the community continued to show support for the third annual walk to raise awareness of ocular melanoma, on behalf of Gallagher. The walk began on Beach 122nd Street and ended with a party at Jamesons. Leading up to the event, 50/50 tickets were sold, which resulted in $17,200 being raised, with $8,600 going to the winner.
Able to come back home for the event, Gallagher was overwhelmed by the support she received. In a message posted to Instagram, she said, “I wanted to say how grateful I am for all of the support that has been shown to me over the last five years, but in the last couple of weeks, the way that my family and friends and this community of Rockaway has rallied around us, has just been more than I can ever ask, and I’m just so thankful for that. The fact that people take time out of their day to show up for me and to support me, text me, donate to the 50/50, it’s just, there really are no words.”
