Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Advance

On Sunday, October 16, 2011 the American Cancer Society will be holding a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park at 9:00am.  The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is an opportunity to help fight breast cancer by raising funds and awareness. The event is not a race, but rather a celebration of survivorship and strength with the goal of ending this disease that affects so many people.

Breast cancer is a common form of cancer that affects not only women, but also men all over the world. In the United States breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancer. In addition, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in woman, exceeded only by lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society the chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 3% and that in 2011 about 39,520 women will die from breast cancer. However, death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment. At this time more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. This shows that breast cancer is not the end and can be overcome as we work towards a cure with the help of events such as the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

Cancer survivor Margery “Margie” Gould Rath first developed making Strides in 1984. She wanted to find a way to celebrate fellow cancer survivors by raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Working with a committee of fellow cancer survivors and other volunteers, she created a “move-along-a-thon” called Making Strides Against Cancer to bring people of all abilities in an event to help fight cancer. The first event was held in Boston and drew 200 participants. It became a yearly event in the city. The event officially became known as the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in September 1993. It attracted 4,000 walkers at events in Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire. Since then, Margie’s vision has inspired nearly 7 million walkers to participate in Making Strides events in more than 200 communities across the country while raising more than $400 million to fight breast cancer. Margie remained a dedicated volunteer for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program until she lost her battle with cancer in 2001.

Help keep this event going and the memory of Margie alive by coming out on Sunday, October 16. While the event has no registration fee or minimum fundraising amount, people of all ages are welcome to participate and encouraged to raise funds. With your help the funds raised can be used for numerous things to help improve the lives of those battling breast cancer including finding a cure. For example, with the funds raised we can educate men and women to live healthy lives to reduce the risk of breast cancer and get screened early, provide people facing breast cancer with information and emotional support, invest in and conduct research that can lead to discoveries into breast cancer’s causes and cures, and work with legislators to support laws that can help fight breast cancer and help all people get access to screening and care.  In 2010, more than 800,000 people across the country joined the American Cancer Society in walking towards a cure and raised more than $60 million. So come out and join us for a few hours of exercise and entertainment as we walk together to put an end to breast cancer while honoring those who have fought or are still fighting the battle.