10
QUEENS WEEKLY,OCTOBER 13, 2019
Breast cancer walk at Flushing Meadows
Corona Park expects 20,000 participants
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
It’s all about pink power
at this year’s American Cancer
Society’s premier event,
Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer Walk, at
Queens’ Flushing Meadows
Corona Park on Oct. 20.
About 20,000 borough
residents are expected to
attend the walk to raise
awareness and funds to help
fight breast cancer. The noncompetitive
walking event
unites communities to honor
and celebrate breast cancer
survivors, educate people
about the importance of early
detection and prevention,
and raise money to fund lifesaving
research and support
programs.
“There are 120 walks
across the country, 19 of them
in New England. The walks
range in distance from three
to six miles,” said Meagan
Hallworth, senior manager
of Community Development
at the American Cancer Society.
“Participants can take
as long as they want to finish.
Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer is not a race; it
is a celebration of survivorship,
an occasion to express
hope, and a shared goal to
end a disease that threatens
the lives of so many people
we love.”
There are many ways to
get involved with Making
Strides Against Breast Cancer.
Participants can register
and lead a team, walk
with an existing team or go
solo, volunteer or become a
sponsor.
“There are new elements
to the walk this year, such as
Reflection Row. People can
purchase a pink flag at the
walk and dedicate it to someone
they love who has fought
or is fighting cancer, or if
they themselves are a survivor,”
Hallworth said. “They
can walk with those flags
and plant them in the ground
the last mile of the walk to
represent all those we are
fighting for. There will also
be a Food Truck Row, as well
as new tents (Caregiver and
Fitness Zones).”
The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Oct. 20 will honor and celebrate breast cancer survivors, educate people
about the importance of early detection and prevention, and raise money to fund lifesaving research and support programs.
Photo via Facebook/Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Queens
“We require a minimum
of 500 volunteers to run this
event smoothly. We appreciate
all of the support the
community gives for this
event. We are a volunteer run
organization, and rely on our
volunteers to host these community
events,” Hallworth
added.
The ACS is looking to
reach their fund-raising goal
of $750,000. So far, the organization
has raised a total of
$149,469.
Funds raised at the event
will go toward innovative
research to better understand,
prevent, find and
treat the disease; supporting
patients with free rides
to chemo, free places to stay
near hospitals, a live 24/7
cancer helpline; and education
prevention helping
people to reduce their breast
cancer risk or early detection
when it may be easier to
treat.
According to the ACS,
apart from skin cancer,
breast cancer is the most
common cancer type in
women. In 2019, about 271,270
new cases of invasive breast
cancer will be diagnosed
and about 62,930 cases of carcinoma
in situ (CIS — noninvasive
and earliest form of
breast cancer) will be diagnosed
in women.
On the day of the event,
participants at Flushing
Meadows Corona Park are
expected to check-in at 8
a.m. and the walk will begin
at 10 a.m. To learn more
about the Making Strides
of Queens or for other information,
call 800-227-
2345; or contact your local
American Cancer Society
office with the information
provided below:
Megan Hallworth at
QueensNYStrides@cancer.
org or call 718-517-3214. Visit
the office: Skyview Wellness
Center 131-07 40th Rd. Suite
E.28, Flushing, NY 11354
link
