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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
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Tina Best, left, of Evergreen stands on the bleachers with the 1-5 year breast cancer survivors during an award ceremony following the Denver Komen Race for the Cure event. Sponsors donated the women's pink T-shirts and caps. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. (Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu)
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Tens of thousands of women and men, most sporting more than a touch of pink in the chilly morning air, milled about Oct. 5 in Confluence Park before the start of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Some wore cards proclaiming "In memory of," dedicated to lost friends and family, but others ran in honor of someone who had survived breast cancer. Metro student Ken Lessard did both. It was the first time the 22-year-old Lessard, a physical education major, had joined the race.
"I decided to do the walk today because I know how much it means to my mom," Lessard said. "She lost her mother, my grandma, to breast cancer when I was just seven years old. She had been battling the cancer for five years and we thought she was in the clear when she passed." A close friend of Lessard's mother survived the disease.
The race is a part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation's agenda. The most successful fundraising and education event for breast cancer worldwide, the Denver leg of the race ended at Auraria Parkway, bordering the north edge of campus, where local chanteuse Lannie Garrett entertained with swing tunes before an emotional closing ceremony and survivors tribute.
Lessard joined his mother and girlfriend in the event. He was amazed at the number of people who turned out to support and uplift each other.
"I loved every minute of it. The bands playing on the streets, the smiles on faces and just the atmosphere was something I will never forget," he said. "It's hard to see all of those who have lost someone to cancer, but it's amazing to see that people are strong enough to move forward and keep faith in finding a cure."
Lessard's girlfriend, MacKenzie Lintz, is majoring in both psychology and political science at Metro. It was the 23-year-old's first time attending the event, too. She said she was inspired by her boyfriend's mother to attend. "I'm not really sure what I was expecting but I was definitely impressed by the amount of people and the joy and courage they all had to come together to fight breast cancer," Lintz said.
More than $1 million was raised by race day, 75 percent of which will stay in the local community to go towards education, fundraising and grant making, including a speaker's bureau and outreach to the medically underserved. The remaining 25 percent goes to the national Komen organization.
Education has been key in eliminating the stigma that formerly accompanied a diagnosis of cancer.
"Until breast cancer awareness, many woman felt ashamed and were lucky to have family support during this battle," Ken's mom, Lisa Lessard, said.
Financial support has brought about significant changes in treatment as well. Even dreaded chemotherapy sessions have been improved.
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The scene is reflected in a breast cancer survivor's sunglasses as she takes the stage along with hundreds of other women and men at a ceremony following the 2008 Komen Race for te Cure where survivors were recognized and victims remembered. (Photo by DAWN MADURA/dmadura@mscd.edu)
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"The medical advances are truly phenomenal," Lisa said. "Most woman have port-a-caths to help administer the chemo. The chemo now has drugs in it to avoid vomiting,
and the support is ongoing."
Begun 25 years ago, the race series raises significant funds and awareness for the disease, as well as helping to celebrate survivors and honor those who have lost the battle. The race is the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks anywhere in the world, with well over 1 million participants since 2005.
And it felt like all 1 million were in attendance this year. In spite of streets being completely shut down for the event, the course was packed with walkers. Survivors could be identified by the freebie pink caps worn by the women, and gray T-shirts, for the guys.
Groups went off over a two-and-a-half-hour period, and still it was impossible to attempt even a serious jog for the latter half of the race. Walkers chatted, pushed strollers, linked arms and did a lot of smiling. The flocks of people, united by their cause, ignited positive energy in each other.
"I would definitely go again," Lintz said. "Even though it was packed from sidewalk to sidewalk pretty much the whole way, it was uplifting to see that many people standing up for a cause."
The race ran like a well-oiled machine from start to finish. Tremendous organizational skills were evident in every phase, from quick registration to traffic control. These people know how to raise money.
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University of Denver cheerleader Amy Beth Nunnery encourages Komen Race for the Cure participants. The 5K run/walk raised money and awareness for breast cancer prevention. (Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu)
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If you didn't want to get up early to make the race, contributing to your own sleep-in was an option. Prizes went to individuals and teams who gathered the most donations.
Breast cancer survivors outnumber all other cancer survivors, and today 2 million breast cancer survivors are the largest group of cancer survivors, and the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. Nearly 75 percent of women over 40 receive regular mammograms, and much of that is due to the nearly $1 billion that the foundation has invested in breast cancer research and community outreach programs. But it still isn't known what causes the malady or how to prevent it.
"Every day I pray that my mom will stay strong and never be diagnosed, but I know how prevalent (breast cancer) is with genetic links," Ken said. "(Doing) the walk was a way of showing my mom and millions of others that we appreciate them, and we will keep fighting to find a cure."
"I would tell a friend who was thinking about going next year to absolutely do it," Lintz said. "Do it for your own health to get out and walk, and all the added perks like walking through a beautiful North Denver neighborhood, seeing all these women who have courage and strength I
could only dream of having, and most of all do it for a good cause."
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