Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Duo dedicated to fight for breast cancer cure
ROGERS — Neither Carol Johnston nor Mike Turner is going to be running in the 2012 Susan G. Komen Ozark Race for the Cure; they’ll both be walking.
That’s exactly the point, though. A person doesn’t have to be a runner to get involved in the annual fundraiser, which aims to raise $1 million in the battle against breast cancer.
Indeed, Komen Ozark is all about finding new ways to include more people each year. That’s why there are 5K and 10K races on Saturday at Pinnacle Hills Promenade Shopping Center in Rogers, as well as a wide range of events designed to connect more people to the cause — things like Sleep In for the Cure and Teens for the Cure, as well as the traditional pasta party Friday night, a family-friendly event held the evening before the race.
All told, some 16,000 people are expected to participate in some part of Ozark Race for the Cure. The first event on Saturday, the 10K run, begins at 7:30 a.m.
“Northwest Arkansas is still considered a small rural area, but [board members] were looking at the numbers, and we were very successful last year,” says Johnston, an executive with Wal-mart Stores Inc., who lives in Rogers. “We’re getting closer to bigger cities like Atlanta, in terms of number of participants.
“We’re proud of that fact, but the biggest thing is the awareness it brings to the community.”
Johnston has been involved with Komen Ozark for two years, and Turner has been involved for four. Both chose to participate for the same reason: they
knew several people who had battled breast cancer.
Turner’s mother-in-law is a breast-cancer survivor, as are several of his colleagues at Sam’s Club, where he is an executive.
“For me, it’s about personal connections,” says Turner, a Rogers resident. “I have two families, my family at home and my family at Sam’s Club/wal-mart. When you have that personal connection, [Komen’s mission] is extremely important to you.”
Johnston and Turner, the honorary co- chairmen of the event, are part of teams through work that will be walking Saturday.
First held in 1999, Ozark Race for the Cure is an event that routinely draws thousands of participants — of all ages and even species, in the case of the dogs who accompany their masters in Bark for the Cure.
There will be a survivors breakfast from 7-9 a.m. Saturday at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade food court. It has been changed to a dropin event this year, so people don’t have to choose between attending the breakfast and the race. Some 600 breast-cancer survivors took part in the Race for the Cure last year.
“It is incredible when you stand on that stage on race day morning and just watch the people walking, running, pushing their strollers, bringing their dogs,” says Alison Levin, the executive director of Komen Ozark. “It’s a sea of pink for miles.”
Komen Ozark covers 10 counties, eight in Arkansas and two in Missouri. Of the money raised, 75 percent of it supports individuals and organizations in that coverage area, while the remaining 25 percent goes toward breast-cancer research.
Recently, Komen Ozark awarded $750,000 in grants. That’s a large number, to be sure, but Levin points out that the organization had $1.3 million in grant requests, illustrating the need for continued and increased support.
“We’ve all heard that early detection makes all the difference in the world, and I think that’s very true,” Johnston says. “That’s why Komen is so important, because it’s about education. Our mission is to eliminate breast cancer. It truly makes a difference in people’s lives.” For more information about the 2012 Susan G. Komen Ozark Race for the Cure, call (479) 7507465 or visit komenozark.org.