Walkers Invade Detroit For Breast Cancer Race For The Cure ? CBS ...

Race for the Cure (credit: by Bill Kern)

DETROIT (WWJ) -?Woodward Avenue?near Comerica?Park is shut down Saturday morning as thousands invade downtown?for the 20th annual Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure.

Street closures begin around 7 am and the 5K walk begins at 9 a.m.

A breast cancer diagnosis is given around the globe every 69 seconds, in the U.S. every three minutes.

This year, almost 40,000 lives will be lost to breast cancer in the U.S. alone, and 1,300 of those lives will be from Michigan.

Maureen Meldrum, chair of the Komen Detroit Race for the Cure, said the event is about coming together with others who have been affected by the disease.

?Breast cancer is probably one of the scariest?things there is for most women. And yet detected early enough, its highly survivable. No one wants to get breast cancer but one in eight women in her lifetime will get it. Here we are, in metropolitan Detroit? we are surrounded by some of the best care and some of the best research. Don?t let fear paralyze you,? Meldrum.

The five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when detected early before it spreads beyond the breast, is now 98 percent. That is compared to 74 percent in 1982.

Last year, more than 35,000 people took part in this inspirational movement in Detroit ? a 15% increase from the previous year ? making the hometown race a top-tier event in the world?s largest 5K run/walk series.

Of the $2.3 million raised from last year?s walk, $1.55 million in grants went to support local breast health programs and more than $428,300 supported national breast cancer research.

Meldrum?said although their cause is?serious,?the event is ment to be fun.

?Walkers dress up, they wear signs, they remember their friends who are both living and those that we have lost. You see just the craziest people and the happiest people all for one cause, that we can end this disease one day,? Meldrum said.

The race beings on Woodward near Montcalm. From the starting point, walkers will head north on Woodward to Hancock. Then, they will take Hancock to John R. and turn down Forest to head back to Woodward. Walkers will then? head south on Woodward until Alfred, which they will take back to John R. They will continue on John R. until they reach Comerica?Park, where they will head to Brush. From there they will head to the finish line at Adams just east of Witherell.

In honor of reaching a 20 year milestone, a new feature of this year?s walk will include a Memorial Site in the Tigers Club lobby where?walkers can take a moment to add their personal message memorializing a family member or friend, lost to breast cancer. The?community art piece will continue to grow over the years and will be featured at future walks to come.

For more Race Day information, visit www.karmanos.org.

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/05/21/walkers-invade-detroit-for-breast-cancer-race-for-the-cure/

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