Breast cancer walk raises money, awareness
Margie Richert was almost sweating through her breast cancer survivor shawl as she slowly shuffled through the downtown streets pushing an empty wheelchair.
The 76-year-old was flanked by her daughter Lisa on the left and her granddaughter Cortney on the right. Wearing pink wigs, they both reminded Margie it would be OK to take a break and get into that chair.
But Richert, a two-time cancer survivor, didn’t want to climb in. She didn’t want to take the easy way out. She took a little break close to the end of the nearly 2-mile walk, but eventually strode over the finish line with the others who were walking to help stomp out a disease that has taken too many. Richert’s mother, two sisters and close friend all have battled the disease as well.
“I felt guilty when I beat breast cancer because I was lucky and they caught it early,” said Richert, who lives in Delaware. “There were so many others who haven’t made it or their fight was so long and hard with this disease. It’s up to us to keep going and do whatever we can to make sure others don’t have to deal with breast cancer.”
Richert was one of about 1,000 people who gathered Saturday morning at Genoa Park Downtown to participate in the 17th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 3K walk. The event, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, raised about $140,000 for breast cancer research, education and awareness, and the ongoing efforts to get people screened for breast cancer as early as possible.
The pink-clad walkers gathered on what was a perfect fall morning, circling along the river and through the Arena District. They held signs honoring loved ones, sang songs with breast cancer survivors and exchanged support. Some were there for the first time and had never known anyone who had breast cancer. Others had been to the event every year and had lost numerous family members and friends to the disease.
An estimated 252,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and about 40,000 of them will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. There are also about 2,500 men expected to be diagnosed the disease this year, and about 450 of them are expected to die from the disease.
Since 1993, more than 13 million supporters have helped raise more than $810 million to help end breast cancer. The walks are now held in more than 250 communities across the U.S.
“We are definitely making progress and have come so far with breast cancer,” said Christine Mills, executive director of the American Cancer Society North Central Region. “Now we just need to continue and end it once and for all.”
Kara Morris, 36, of Columbus, lost her mother to breast cancer in 2012 after she fought the disease for about a year. Morris was with a large group of family and friends trying to remember the good times with her mom but wanting people to know that the disease can take so much from a family.
“My mom and dad were married 38 years and were best friends,” Morris said. “It’s been hard on my dad and he misses her so much. It’s a pain that people shouldn’t have to feel and why we are out here walking together.”