Every year, FTA sponsors a team from Searcy High School to walk in Race for the Cure. This year’s Race was in Little Rock on October 19.
Race for the cure is a 5k that raises money to promote education and research for breast cancer. Each one of the tens of thousands of people that showed up to the race had her own reason to participate.
It could that they or someone they know had breast cancer. Or maybe that he or she just wanted to help out because they know the threat of breast cancer and the effects it has on over 44,000 people a year.
“I run because my grandmother is a 20 year breast cancer survivor and it’s an awesome experience,” said FTA member Anna West.
English teacher and FTA sponsor, Jaime Brown has been going to the race for many years.
“I have a tradition of doing the race with my mom so it is very meaningful,” said Brown.
There are currently 28 million survivors in the U.S. today and that number is steadily rising.
Many survivors choose to run in the race because of their hard experience. Not only students that are in FTA could run. Anyone who wanted to walk with the school could sign up and pay online at komenarkansas.org.
Registration money is donated to breast cancer research.25 percent of the money made in Arkansas goes to breast cancer research through the nation Susan G. Koman Foundation while the other 75 percent stays in Arkansas to give breast cancer education and provide screening and treatment programs.
“It makes me feel really warm inside knowing that I can help make a difference,” said West.
FTA’s previous sponsor, English teacher Bobbie Coleman, started sponsoring
a team when she learned she had breast cancer. When she died from cancer, Brown took over FTA and continued the tradition.
“Race for the cure has an extremely special place in my heart not only because of Mrs. Coleman, but also because both of my grandmothers died of breast cancer before I was born,” said Brown.
Tens of thousands of people showed up to the race. Each runner made their contribution to the fight against breast cancer. Race for the cure in Little Rock had a great turnout that helped many people in their hard journey with breast cancer.
