As many around the country celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the American Cancer Society is having it’s 13th annual Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk on Sunday, October 16 at Orchard Beach.
The walk, which travels approximately 3.1 miles, is one of the many events this month by the cancer society to raise awareness for breast cancer.
As of this article, fundraising for the march has reached $205,512.17.
Also, there are 541 teams and 1,856 participants in the walk.
According to Lizette Dorado, a senior marketing manager for the American Cancer Society, their participants begin raising money for the walk as early as January.
She added, however, “We do find that the majority of the fundraising is collected soon after October 1 hits.”
“It’s almost like you turn on a light switch,” she said.
Last year the Bronx raised approximately $625,000 and the previous year total fundraising reached $592,000.
In addition to the actual walk, the event includes a tent where cancer survivors receive special treatment.
“We have what we call Survivor Village,” said Lizzette Dorado. “Here they are pampered. They get makeovers, we have people doing designs on their nails, they get breakfast, they get giveaways.”
Dorado added that people who are still fighting breast cancer are also under the survivor tent which leads to a sense of community during the walk.
“What we find is in our survivor tent,” said Dorado, “this becomes one of the biggest cancer support groups that we’ve seen.”
“As they’re kind of hanging out and talking to each other under the survivor tent, they talk about their experiences, they talk about what they’re going through and they really become a support system for each other,” she said. “It’s actually really amazing to see them bond during that time.”
Registration for the walk begins at 8 a.m. Also beginning at that time is the stage program during which numerous entertainers from the community come out and perform for the crowd.
The actual walk begins at 10 a.m. and is signaled by a ribbon cutting.”
Participants will walk through Orchard Beach, going over the board walk, the parking lot and completing the walk at the stage.
The entire walk totals approximately 3.1 miles.
Dorado said in her six years working for the American Cancer Society she has attended many breast cancer walks.
However, she said the Bronx is the “most fun and energetic.”
“Once you start looking at all the other walks [the Bronx] is definitely the biggest party,” she added.
If you are interested in contributing to the walk, you can find more information at makin
