More than 30,000 people participated in the annual Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure in downtown Phoenix Sunday morning to promote breast cancer awareness and raise money for the foundation.
The event, which was put on by the Phoenix chapter of the Komen foundation, raised $2 million. The ASU club cheerleading team cheered on runners and walkers as they crossed the finish line.
Biological sciences freshman Marlaina Patterson, who is on the ASU club cheer team, had an aunt who died of breast cancer when she was in fifth grade.
“It’s good to see how many people care and how many people came out to support the cause,” she said.
This is one of the first community events the ASU club cheer team has attended as a group, Patterson said.
“We chose a breast cancer awareness walk because it’s something that does affect a lot of people, including a majority of the community,” she said.
“Even if people don’t know someone personally who has been affected, they know someone who has [been affected].”
Nursing junior Déja Simmons participated in the 5K walk with a group of ASU students. Her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and survived.
At first, her grandmother kept the disease a secret from the family until she had her mastectomy, she said.
“I think she has changed a lot since she has recovered,” Simmons said. “It seems like her hair never grew all the way back from the chemotherapy, and I know she has to watch what she wears now because she’s more self-conscious.”
Simmons said her grandmother’s survival also changed her own life.
“I’m a lot more conscious now. I tell my mom, my friends’ moms, even my friends, to be sure to get tested, to do the self exams,” she said.
“It’s one of the reasons I chose to study nursing so that I can educate people and work with people on early detection and prevention.”
Race coordinator Heather Roberts said the event is the foundation’s main form of fundraising for the entire year.
“This event is sort of two-fold — one part is fundraising, but our main thing is raising awareness,” Roberts said.
The four annual events are a one-mile family walk, a 5K run, a 5K walk and a survivors-only 5K run.
“All of these events are a way to celebrate those who did survive and to honor those who passed,” she said. “It’s extremely powerful to cross the finish line and see all the people who are all fighting for the same cause.”
Roberts said ASU had a large presence at the race.
“I saw a lot of people in yellow [ASU] shirts and [almost] all participants … were very enthusiastic,” she said.
Simmons said she plans to continue to donate to the foundation and do her own part to raise awareness.
“This race is great because I literally felt like we were fighting for the cure,” she said. “Every step toward the finish line I felt like were all moving toward our common goal.”
Reach the reporter at sheydt@asu.edu.
