Thousands Turn Out to Make Strides Against Breast Cancer

On Sunday, October 17th, thousands of Lincoln residents joined together at the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer^® 5K walk to help create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays. This noncompetitive event united the entire community to celebrate breast cancer survivors, educate people about how to reduce their breast cancer risk or find the disease early, and raise funds to end the disease. The event and the dollars raised from it support the Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back against breast cancer.

While the for-profit sector saw declining demand for products and services in the economic downturn, the opposite was true for organizations like the American Cancer Society who saw demand for their patient services increase in the past year.  Funds raised by events like Making Strides Against Breast Cancer are critical in meeting the needs of breast cancer in the community.

The Reach to Recovery peer-to-peer support program for breast cancer survivors is just one way that the American Cancer Society saves lives and creates more birthdays in Lincoln.  The Society helps people stay well by educating people about the latest screening guidelines and it helps people get well by providing 24/7 access for patients to learn more about their disease through 1-800-227-2345 and cancer.org.  The Society also has granted more than $388 million dollars since 1971 for breast cancer research at various academic and medical institutions around the country.

“Cancer does not go away in tough economic times,” said Randall Jantzen, event director for this year’s Making Strides event. “We are so thankful for how this community has pulled together to ensure that we can continue to serve breast cancer patients and their families here in Lincoln.”

This year, Lincoln’s 10th-annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk was one of more than 165 held across the country  Making Strides Against Breast Cancer supports the American Cancer Society’s unique mission to fight cancer on all fronts and save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or finding it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking research and by fighting back by encouraging lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. Over time, the Society has invested more in breast cancer research than any other voluntary public health organization, spending more on breast cancer research and investing more than $388 million in breast cancer research grants since 1971. As a result, more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors will celebrate a birthday this year.

It is not too late to make a donation to Lincoln’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Visit www.makingstrideslincoln.org to help the Society continue making strides and saving lives. For more information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org/breastcancer.

Lincoln Begins Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

This year, Lincoln will be one of  more than 160 communities across the nation hosting a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event to fight back against breast cancer and provide hope to all people facing the disease.  This morning’s kickoff breakfast at the Cornhusker Marriott entertained more than 300 people interested in the issue of breast cancer.  Starting today, team leaders will begin forming their teams and fundraising for the Oct. 18 walk at Holmes Lake Park in Lincoln.

Serese Cole from 10/11 News and Jill St. James from B107.3 hosted the breakfast representing two of the Making Strides media sponsors.  Speakers at the breakfast were Joy King, Regional Vice President for the American Cancer Society’s Nebraska Region, Karen Pribnow, Oncology Nurse, Sue Sindlar (pictured below), breast cancer survivor and Nancy Hanshaw from 2009 Making Strides Flagship Sponsor, Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center. 

Making Strides is a celebration of survivorship, an occasion to express hope, and a shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. Making Strides walks do not have a registration fee or minimum fundraising amount. They are open to men, women, and children of all ages. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer unites friends, families, and coworkers to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. The support of teams and individuals enables the American Cancer Society to fund groundbreaking breast cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer prevention and early detection information, help ensure all women have access to mammograms and follow-up care, and provide free programs and services that improve the quality of life for people facing breast cancer.

 In 2008, more than 5,000 walkers in Lincoln joined the American Cancer Society in our united fight against breast cancer raising $176,000, more than $10,000 more than Lincoln’s total in the previous year. This year’s walk will take place on Sunday, Oct. 18^th at 1 p.m. at Holmes Lake Park in Lincoln.

Anyone who was not a part of this morning’s breakfast and would like to form a team, or would like more information on the event, please call 402-423-4893 or log on to http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/Lincoln.  For more information about cancer, call the American Cancer Society’s 24-hour help-line at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

 

Photos by Melissa Tvrdy.