WASHINGTON —聽If you were around the National Mall on Saturday morning you probably saw lots of people wearing pink — 聽men, women and children. That’s because 聽some 15,000 people,聽including 1,500 survivors, took part in this year鈥檚 Susan G. Komen D.C. “Race for the Cure” 5K walk/run and the one required color: pink.
Saturday鈥檚 race raised over $1 million, which should help 聽toward combating this area’s staggering breast cancer statistics. According to the Susan G. Komen organization, the D.C. area has the highest mortality rate in the country for breast cancer.
鈥淏reast cancer survivors are some of the most strongest women on the planet,鈥� says Lisa Gray from Alexandria.聽 She speaks from experience — 聽she鈥檚 a 15-year breast cancer survivor.聽 She鈥檚 also this year鈥檚 Race for the Cure 鈥淪urvivor of the Year.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 an awesome experience to be here (Race for the Cure) as a 15-year survivor to see all the survivors,鈥� says Gray.聽聽鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of support here and it makes you realize you are not alone.鈥�
Every 60 seconds one woman, somewhere in the world, dies from breast cancer.聽 That鈥檚 about a half a million people who will聽die this year from breast cancer, according to the Komen organization.
The grand marshal for this year鈥檚 Race for the Cure was sporting a hot-pink tee-shirt that read “Hulkamania.”聽 WWE hall of famer Hulk Hogan聽said he jumped聽all over the chance to聽a part of this cause.
鈥淚 want this disease stomped, beat-up that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here with the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) because with the people creating awareness like this, there鈥檚 a chance we can wipe this disease out and none of the beautiful women in this world will ever have to worry about it again,鈥�
Hogan聽has a 27-year daughter, and as a parent, is concerned about her health in the future.聽聽So he’d like to see breast cancer to聽be a thing of the past. 聽鈥淲e鈥檙e right around the corner of making this (breast cancer) go away forever,鈥� he said.
He says he loved wrestling, and he had his run, but he’s聽61-years old and聽says he has another cause.聽 “And that鈥檚 being in service to others, to help people in this world聽and to be a part of all these heroes, these breast cancer survivors that fight every single day and live in the moment because they never know when that moment might end.聽 To be a part of that cause, that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here.”
Talking about her breast cancer battle, Gray聽says, 鈥淚t was hell. It was really horrible. Very surprising, I had no family history, no risk factors at all and I was diagnosed on a regular mammogram.聽 So I had mastectomies, chemo and radiation and 10-years of oral chemotherapy and now I鈥檓 volunteering and thriving and I hate cancer.鈥�
Since the start of this race in D.C. in 1990, $35 million have been raised for local programs in the National Capital area, which target low-income, uninsured and minority women.
