Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® is more than a typical 5k. It’s a major Charlotte event, a celebration of hope and survival. For competitive racers as well as the thousands of walk teams that converge on downtown Charlotte each October, the event is a magical, festive environment that takes on a life of its own. Thousands of people come out for the 5k run/walk and raise money to help save lives and find a cure for breast cancer.
The race, Komen’s largest fundraising and awareness event, will take place Saturday, Oct. 5, at Marshall Park in uptown Charlotte. Last year, Komen hosted more than 17,000 participants and is eagerly anticipating more this year. Timing chips are available for competitive runners, who start the race 20 minutes prior to the walking crowd. Competitive medals are presented to top racers and this year, three newly designated honors will be awarded to the first-place runners in each category.
All funds raised at Race for the Cure go directly back to the local community. Seventy-five percent of every dollar is used to fund community health grants and education in our area, while 25 percent of funds support national breast cancer research grants. More than $1.7 million was granted back to universities and research facilities in North Carolina last year to fund ground-breaking cancer studies. From mammograms and diagnostic services to education and research grants, Komen Charlotte contributes millions of dollars each year to finding ways to fight breast cancer and increase awareness in our community.
Sign up today at http://www.komencharlotte.org/.
