8th Annual Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run: Join the Fun!
I like it on the floor. I like it on the kitchen counter. Recently, these statements have been popping up as Facebook statuses. Men are confused and women know these are places where they like to put their purses when they come home. This is the way Facebook users are promoting October as Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Bloomsburg University also has its way of raising awareness and money for breast cancer. This is the 8th year BU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is holding its Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run. This year’s event will be held Sunday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. beginning at the Student Recreation Center. The walk/run loops around campus twice for a total of 3.5 miles.
According to Madelyn Rodriguez, OMA’s director, about 400 people participated in last year’s walk. For the past eight years, the walk has raised an average of $8,000 to $10,000 a year. All proceeds are given to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, which means the money stays in Pennsylvania.
The coalition strives to assist women diagnosed with breast cancer, to support the families of women who die from it and to serve as a resource for those currently living with the cancer. Statistics taken from the group’s website says approximately 9,500 women in Pennsylvania will be diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with 2,200 women dying from the cancer.
OMA’s goal is to raise money but also to foster a sense of togetherness. “The walk/run is about raising money for breast cancer, but it is also for bringing the students and community together for a good cause,” says Rodriguez.
Pre-registration for the walk is $20 per person and open until Oct. 22. Registration Oct. 23, and the day of the event, is $25 per person. Larger groups can find sponsors to help raise money for entrance fees and donations.
For more information on the walk/run or to register, contact Rodriguez at mrodrig2@bloomu.edu or (570) 389-4510. For more information about The PA Breast Cancer Coalition visit the organization’s website http://www.pabreastcancer.org/.
