Sunday, October 20th was the annual walk for Breast Cancer Awareness month. With a registered number of 5,835 people gathered at Washington Park, $412,631.09 was raised…just by walking!

Spme participants walked in memory of their mother, others walked for spouses, siblings, even children who had died from breast cancer. Some walked in memory of those who had died from other types of cancer- like Talia Castellano, a famous blogger who died of neruoblastoma and preleukemia this past July. Fortunately, many people walked in honor of survivors.

Breast cancer is the second most fatal cancer for women, following lung cancer. Women who are diagnosed within six months of a tumor forming have a 95% survival rate. Each year, over 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. However, the overall number of women surviving breast cancer today is the highest ratio it has ever been.

Originally, breast cancer was kept quiet, with women suffering alone, not bringing attention to the disease. Since treatments and surgeries have improved, awareness for this type of cancer has been steadily rising. The “Women’s Field Army”, a group branching off of the American Cancer Society in the 20’s and 30’s, was one of the first organized groups to promote awareness.

Breast cancer awareness has been connected with the feminist movement since the 80s; however, it is not solely for women. Men can contract breast cancer, and support the cause as well. More and more people are donating to the cause of finding a cure as research and treatments improve.

The symbol for breast cancer is the pink ribbon. This ribbon symbolizes personal generosity, belief and faith in scientific methods. It also signifies a positive and upbeat attitude. These ribbons can found at fundraisers or on products supporting breast cancer research. We fight for strength and health. We fight for love and family. We fight for life. What do you fight for?

For more information, check out cancercenter.com or the American Cancer Society website.

Statistics can be found at:Cancercenter.com, and Cancer.org