Fund-Raiser In Flushing Meadows Sun.
Whether they are showing support for a loved one battling breast cancer or helping to find a cure for the disease, thousands of women will wind their way through Flushing Meadows-Corona Park this Sunday morning, Oct. 21, for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk to raise funds for the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The walk will start at 10 a.m. at the park located in the vicinity of 111th Street between 54th and 55th avenues. Teams of participants can register for the event beginning at 8 a.m.
Occurring as the nation marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Making Strides walk raises funds for the ACS’ ongoing programs to assist women who are currently battling breast cancer.
Proceeds are also used to fund the society’s research efforts with the short-term goal of providing better detection and treatment methods and the long-term goal of finding a cure.
The first Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk took place in Boston, Mass. in 1984, when a cancer survivor named Margery Gould Rath organized a “move-along-athon” with other survivors to raise funds for the ACS.
While the first walk gathered 200 participants, the fund-raiser-much like the ACS Relay for Life, generally held in Queens during the spring and summer-blossomed into a nationwide outreach event. Hundreds of Making Strides walks take place across the U.S. annually, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for breast cancer treatment and research.
It will be hard for anyone to miss the teams walking in Flushing Meadows Park this Sunday, as the majority of the participants will be wearing pink t-shirts and clothing. Pink is the official color of breast cancer awareness.
So far, teams participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Queens have raised more than $350,000. Each of the teams is comprised of members of families, businesses and community organizations.
One such participant is Commuby nity Board 5, whose “Sole Sisters” have already raised more than $3,000 for their walk. Laura Mulvihill, a Board 5 staff member who serves as team captain, announced at the board’s Oct. 10 meeting that the team ranks among the top one percent of fund-raisers in the Queens walk.
There’s still time for anyone who has not donated or registered to take part in the walk to do so. Additional details on this Sunday’s walk can be found online at makingstrides.acsevents.org/queens.
Anyone who will not participate in the walk can still contribute to the ACS by sending donations online at www.cancer.org/stridesonline or by mail to the American Cancer Society Queens/Eastern Division, 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd., Suite 400, Kew Gardens, NY 11415.
