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It is time to get your running shoes ready, because the 22nd annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will take place on March 2 at Biggs Park.
This weekend, many citizens of El Paso will participate in Race for the Cure. Among them is sophomore nursing major Lorie Gonzalez. In the past, Gonzalez has helped support the runners by painting pink ribbons on their cheeks. She said Race for the Cure is a crucial event when it comes to helping fight cancer.
“I believe that Race for the Cure is so important, because I think that any type of community event is great to help raise awareness and money for any cause,” Gonzalez said. “The Race for the Cure, however hits closer to the heart. I have personally known several women that have been affected such as my mother, grandmother and teachers.”
The largest fundraising event for breast cancer takes places in cities around the nation. Through a series of 5K runs and fitness walks, the race commemorates those who have lost their lives fighting breast cancer, celebrates those who have survived it and supports the many men and women who are continuing to fight the disease today.
Susan G. Komen, the woman who the foundation was named after, was a cancer patient who died within three years of discovering she had the disease. However, at this time no one really understood cancer. In order to raise awareness, her sister, Nancy Brinker, founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to honor her lost sibling.
Race for the Cure began in 1983 in order to raise money to find a cure for breast cancer. Eight hundred runners in Dallas launched the first race. Slowly, Race for the Cure began to spread throughout the country and today, more than 1.6 million people participate, whether they are runners or volunteers.
According to breastcancer.org, one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Having to withstand painful treatments for years, a lot don’t survive. However, there are still many men and women who do survive breast cancer.
“My mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer this past summer,” Gonzalez said. “She is a high school counselor, but has been on medical leave to heal from her multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. My grandmother is also a survivor of breast cancer after she was diagnosed in her 30s.”
This year, in order to honor those who have survived breast cancer, Race for the Cure El Paso is having a survivor rally, where there will be signs corresponding with the years of survivorship. Also, new to the event will be a “Concert for the Cure,” featuring the local Chicago tribute band, “Windy City”. There will also be a “Kids for the Cure,” where youth can participate in the race with a one-mile walk. Following that will be the “Competitive Coed Run,” and the “Non-Competitive Coed Run.”
In El Paso alone, Race for the Cure has already raised $24,000 in order to find a cure for breast cancer, and the organizers are hoping to gain more from those who support the cause locally.
“I hope they find a cure soon, but until then, people should get cancer screenings for early detection in order to have a higher probability of survival,” Gonzalez said. “I think that a lot of people will show up to Race for the Cure this year, because unfortunately the incidence of breast cancer is on the rise. So it is very common for people to know someone who has or had breast cancer. People should support these women; they are warriors and should be honored as such.”
For more information visit komenelpaso.org/el-paso-race-for-the-cure-2/
Amber Gomez may be reached at [email protected].
