Whenever you have the best weather of the year for your outdoor event, you’re bound to be successful. So yes, when the American Cancer Society (ACS) decided to host its annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Pasco” walk on October 22, some people who might not have been planning to take a 2-3-mile walk that day at the Shops at Wiregrass mall may have decided to go ahead and take that morning constitutional in the crisp, sub-70-degree sunshine and crowds of happy people wearing pink.
In other words, although the ACS website MakingStridesWalk.org/PascoFL’s “official” online statistics say there were 1,136 registered participants on 126 teams that raised more than $125,000 (not including sponsorship money, which hadn’t been totaled up at our press time) taking a stroll from the mall to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, ACS of the South Nature Coast of Florida (serving Pasco, Hernando & Citrus counties) senior market manager Robyn Liska says the actual number of people on hand that day was closer to 5,000.
Of those 126 teams, the three that raised the most money for the event (although donations are still being accepted that will be added to the totals) were the “Clerks for a Cause” team, whose 32 members raised nearly $19,000; the “KBR Pirates in Pink,” who had the largest team at the event, with 65 members, that raised almost $13,000; and the “Jazzercise Bosom Buddies, which had 34 members (some of whom did a performance during the event) who raised nearly $10,000.
The top individual fund raisers at this year’s Strides of Pasco were Diane Ricca of the “RMCBP Volunteers” team, who raised nearly $3,700; Jean White of the “KBR Pirates in Pink,” with $3,500; and Diane Gonyea and Kathy Ritz of the “Walmart’s Ride for a Cause” team, who raised $3,056.50 each.
Just like the fight against breast cancer itself, the numbers for the event may not have been finalized at our press time, but a great time was had by all. For more info about ACS, visit Cancer.org.— GN
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