Breast cancer walk raises research funds

Thousands of Queens residents took the fight against breast cancer to the streets on Sunday, October 21.
Organized by the American Cancer Society (ACS), “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,” a 5-mile walk held to raise funds for breast cancer research, ran along Queens Boulevard. Starting and ending at Queens Borough Hall, the event attracted more than 6,500 residents, who raised a total of $706,000 that will go towards breast cancer research and outreach programs.
“It was just wonderful to see so many people helping promote awareness of breast cancer, and acknowledge the need to do something,” said Diane Colonna, Director of Special Events for the ACS Queens division.
The event, part of a nationwide fundraising program by the ACS, included similar walks throughout New York City. Overall, more than 60,000 walkers participated in all five boroughs, and raised $5,356,000. Last year, 5,500 Queens residents helped raise a total of $575,000 for the same event.
“It was the most people we ever had march in the borough,” said Colonna of this year’s participants. “I’m very excited and proud of what our supporters in Queens have done.”
According to the New York State Cancer Registry, 1,367 Queens women were diagnosed with breast cancer annually, between 2000 and 2004, and 323 of those women died every year.
Similarly, Colonna says 1,200 women currently living in Queens suffer from breast cancer.
The funds raised by the walk go to supporting different ACS initiatives, like “Reach to Recovery,” which pairs up breast cancer patients with breast cancer survivors in order to teach the patients the best ways to cope with, and battle the disease.