FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 3, 2019 • BREAST CANCER AWARENESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
breast cancer awareness
Photo via Facebook/Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Queens
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.
Breast cancer walk at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
expects 20,000 Queens residents to participate
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
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 Sunday, Oct. 20.
About 20,000 borough residents are
expected to attend the walk to raise awareness
and funds to help fi ght breast cancer.
Th e 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.
“Th ere are 120 walks across the country,
19 of them in New England. Th e
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 fi nish. 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.”
Th ere 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.
“Th ere are new elements to the walk
this year, such as Refl ection Row. People
can purchase a pink fl ag at the walk and
dedicate it to someone they love who
has fought or is fi ghting cancer, or if they
themselves are a survivor,” Hallworth said.
“Th ey can walk with those fl ags and plant
them in the ground the last mile of the
walk to represent all those we are fi ghting
for. Th ere will also be a Food Truck
Row, as well as new tents (Caregiver and
Fitness Zones).”
“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.
Th e 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, fi nd 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 — non-invasive
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 offi ce with the information provided
below:
Megan Hallworth at QueensNYStrides@
cancer.org or call 718-517-3214. Visit the
offi ce: Skyview Wellness Center 131-07
40th Rd. Suite E.28, Flushing, NY 11354
/cancer.org
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