People are seeing pink in October for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year local organizations are doing their part to make a difference by hosting several events designed to raise breast cancer awareness. Two of the biggest events are the Susan G. Komen Central Florida Race for the Cure and the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk of Metro Orlando.

Race for the Cure will be held on October 25 at Bright House Networks Stadium at the University of Central Florida in East Orlando while the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will take place on October 31 at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.

Being a part of events like these have been life changing for participants and staffers like Jennifer Bradshaw, executive director of Susan G. Komen Central Florida Affiliate. She participated in her first Race for the Cure as a junior in college before taking a job with the organization. “I was overwhelmed as we walked by all of the pink shirts that said Survivor,” says Bradshaw. “It was something that I was immediately drawn to, wanting to know how I could be more involved and how could I help more women wear the shirt that said Survivor.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, excluding skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.

“Cancer is something that has touched my family and me,” said Lisa Bertin-Queena, manager of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk of Metro Orlando. “I never, ever, ever want anybody again to hear the words ‘You have cancer.’”

Both events set out to raise awareness, to celebrate breast cancer survivors and to honor those who have lost their battle against the disease.

As the largest 5k series in the world, the Komen Race for the Cure series has had over a million participants since 2005; and for the Central Florida Affiliate, the Race for the Cure is its largest fundraising event. “Having 8,000 participants on October 25, 2009 will be an achievement for the Central Florida Affiliate because, not only will it be our largest Race for the Cure, but it will also signify that we have 8,000 people in the Central Florida Area all coming together, on the same day, for the same reason-to end breast cancer forever,” said Bradshaw. “That, in itself, is a powerful statement.”

Making Strides also hopes for a large turnout to surpass last year’s 15,000 participant mark, but meeting its fundraising goal has been a challenge with no registration fee or fundraising minimum required. “We are finding ourselves struggling a little bit this year to reach our goal,” said Bertin-Queena. “It really is our volunteers and walkers who bring the money to this event.”

In an added effort to help achieve their goal to raise $630,000, Mystic Dunes Golf Club is hosting the Pink Ribbon Golf Classic on October 9 with proceeds benefiting the walk.

A large percentage of proceeds from both Race for the Cure and Making Strides will stay in the Central Florida community to fund research and aid breast cancer patients. With donations raised at last year’s Race, the Affiliate was able to present 14 non-profit organizations with grants to provide much-needed breast cancer health education and support, mammography, screening, clinical breast exams and diagnostic evaluations, according to Bradshaw.

“Cancer is a disease that touches all over, and one day it could be your family,” said Bertin-Queena. “We don’t ever want to see that happen to anybody, but at the same time we want to be here if it does.”
Article by Aimee Hoyt