More than 3,500 Indian River County residents came together on Oct. 12 at Riverside Park for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and raised more than $95,000 to help save lives from breast cancer.
The volunteer led event is well on its way to leading the community toward reaching the $120,000 goal.
“The October 12th event was a moving example how – united – we can make huge progress toward a world without breast cancer,” said Theresa Woodson, senior manager of community development. “Our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk helps the American Cancer Society fund groundbreaking research into causes, prevention, and treatments for breast cancer, provide free rides to chemo and places to stay near hospitals, a live 24/7 cancer helpline, and so much more.”
Riverside Park was flooded with 90 fundraising teams, and more than 750 registered walkers.
The top six teams, thus far, are Dr. Baker’s Buddies, Seacoast Bank, Live Life, Moorings Life Savers, Sebastian River Medical Center and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Eta Eta Omega Chapter.
Collectively these top teams have already raised nearly $35,000.
Fundraising continues through the end of the calendar year with the official top team celebration taking place after the first of the year.
The 2019 walk was made possible in part by the generous support of our community partners like Dr. Edward Murphy, George E. Warren, Seacoast Bank, Perkins Medical Supply, Hope Imaging, Advanced Dermatology, Sebastian River Medical Center and many others. This is the second year they are partnering with Avon as the first ever National Presenting Sponsor.
For over 130 years, Avon has inspired the financial independence, health and well-being of women – and the fight against breast cancer is central to their mission.
Making Strides participants can be proud. There has been a 40 percent drop in breast cancer death rates since 1989, but there is still so much more to do.
Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women.
According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2019, more than 268,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 41,760 will die from the disease this year.
In addition to the Making Strides teams, Real Men Wear Pink continues the October awareness campaign with 13 local men wearing pink, talking about breast cancer and the survival successes of early detection.
The group aims to raise $36,000 by pledging to raise $2,500 or more. So far, four of the men have surpassed that goal. They are Philip Dasch, of Seacoast Bank, Kyle Sanders, of Sebastian River Medical Center, Vice- Mayor Tony Young, from the City of Vero Beach, and Chief Tad Stone, with Indian River Fire Rescue.
Donations to the Real Men Campaigns can be through the end of the calendar year by visiting www.realmenwearpinkacs.org/IndianRiverCoFL.
It’s not too late to make a donation to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Indian River County. Visit MakingStridesWalk.org/IndianRiverFL to help the American Cancer Society continue saving lives.
For free breast cancer information and resources or to donate, visit the American Cancer Society, anytime day or night, at cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345.
