By Matt Wiley
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month approaches in October, so, too, do events that help raise money that goes toward the research for a cure for the disease that has killed millions. One of the biggest of these events across the nation each year is the American Cancer Society (ACS)’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk, which will again be held locally on Saturday, October 19, at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.
At our press time, 532 people on 95 teams already were on board and had raised more than $25,000 for the cause from both individuals and companies, including the office of Pasco comptroller and clerk of court Paula O’Neil (who announced in May that she was battling the deadly disease), the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) and, of course, the mall itself.
“This year is very comparable to previous years,” says Jannah McDonald, the local ACS community rep. “But, we still need more corporate sponsorship and more teams.”
This year marks the fourth that local pink-bra-wearing participants will march a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course that this year will take them from the mall out to and around Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) twice and back to the mall (there also is a 3K walk available) and the 11th year it has been held in Pasco County, but it is just one of about 300 ‘Making Strides’ events held across the U.S. Last year, the Wiregrass event raised more than $190,000, but organizers hope to raise more than $220,000 this year. ‘Making Strides’ events raise more than $60-million for cancer research each year.
To participate, call 949-0291 or visit MakingStrides.ACSevents.org & enter your zip code.
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