Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
By: Amy Mearkle
Updated: October 15, 2010
ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY – The 11th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will take place on Saturday October 16th, 2010.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a non-competitive 5K walk that raises money for breast cancer research and education through the American Cancer Society.
There are only five Strides walks in the state of PA. The Central PA area walk covers nine counties: Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Somerset, Clearfield, Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Juniata.
This year alone, more than 207,000 women will be told, “You have breast cancer,” including 10,000 Pennsylvanians. The chance of a woman having breast cancer sometime in her life is a little less than 1 in 8. Men get breast cancer too. The chance for men getting the disease is about 1 in 1,000.
The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk allows you to feel a sense of hope and more importantly keep hope alive for thousands of breast cancer fighters every year.
This is the 11th year for the Making Strides Walk in our region. In 2009, 85 teams made up of 700 walkers helped raise the goal amount of $120,000.00.
The American Cancer Society divides the funds into three areas: Breast Cancer Research, Community Partnership Grants and Community Education, Patient and Survivor Support Programs.
The goal of the 2010 walk is to have 100 walking teams and to raise $132,000.00.
Walking teams can be made up of two or more people. There is no minimum amount that a walker has to raise in order to walk. Making Strides has a really user friendly online site where you can raise money online by sending emails to friends and family asking for donations. You can also lean more about the walk : http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/paaltoona
This year’s walk will take place at the Penn State Altoona Campus on Saturday, October 16th. Registration will begin at 8am and the walk will start at 11am. There is a special recognition program for breast cancer survivors. The walk becomes more that just a walk. It becomes a celebration of survivors, their families and of all the volunteers who are working hard to find a cure for breast cancer.
Dana Harris is a 27 year old breast cancer survivor from Hollidaysburg. Dana says “As a breast caner survivor, I think Making Strides is about so much more than just a walk. It is about working together to develop the life saving treatments and supportive programs I am so thankful for. It’s about providing therapies that cancer patients need to win their battle with breast cancer. It is about celebrating life, overcoming obstacles and achieving the impossible and appreciating every moment.”
By participating in Making Strides, you make a difference. You are helping people stay well by education, you are helping people get well through overcoming obstacles and you are helping find cures through research funding.
Every dollar makes a difference; there is no donation too small. Each step you take in Making Strides helps save lives. Make a difference, make history and make strides.
To learn more about the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk contact: Event Manager Laura McCullough at laura.mccullough@cancer.org or contact the American Cancer Society office in Hollidaysburg at 814-695-9232.
