Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville turned pink on Oct. 18 for Making Strides of Western North Carolina, an annual fundraising walk that raises awareness and supports the fight against breast cancer.
The event was part of the American Cancer Society’s nationwide Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign, which raises money for breast cancer research and patient programs to support breast cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. An estimated 250 people attended the event, with 76 survivors of breast cancer participating and 49 registered teams present. Making Strides raised over $75,000 and will continue raising funds until the end of the year.
Families, friends, and survivors affected by breast cancer gathered to celebrate those who have survived, honor those who lost their lives, and support those still fighting the disease. Making Strides of Western North Carolina encouraged participants to volunteer, recruit family and friends, and raise funds leading up to the walk through downtown Asheville.
One volunteer shared her story with the crowd. She was diagnosed with cancer at 37, just weeks after becoming a new mother.
“There’s not a lot of ways to really prepare to hear those words, ‘You have cancer,’” she said. “They really stop you in your tracks and make you reevaluate everything.”
The volunteer urged participants to tend to their health year-round.
“October may be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but our vigilance cannot end,” she said. “When the pink ribbons come down, one in eight women is going to be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and that’s a statistic that needs to keep us alert.”
“Every month is an opportunity to take care of ourselves, schedule that screening, and encourage the women you love to do the same,” she said.
The American Cancer Society reports approximately 319,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, with an additional 56,500 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ, meaning an early non-invasive form of breast cancer in women that has not spread from its original site.
The event ended with music, celebration, and a strong sense of community support at the finish line.
