Nearly 600 Chattanooga area walkers came together on Sunday at Chattanooga State for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Together with October’s month-long Real Men Wear Pink fundraiser, more than $132,800 has been raised to help the ACS save more lives from breast cancer, officials said.
“Sunday’s event was a moving example how – united – we can make huge progress toward a world without breast cancer,” said Brennen Riddle, community development manager for the ACS in Chattanooga.
“Our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk helps the ACS fund groundbreaking research into causes, prevention, and treatments for breast cancer, provide free rides to chemo and places to stay near hospitals, a live 24/7 cancer helpline, and so much more.”
Since 1993, 14 million Making Strides supporters have raised more than $870 million nationwide.
This year Avon joined the ACS as the first-ever National Presenting Sponsor. "For over 130 years, Avon has inspired the financial independence, health and wellbeing of women – and the fight against breast cancer is central to their mission," officials said.
"Making Strides participants can be proud of a 39 percent drop in breast cancer death rates since 1989, but there is still much more to do," officials said. "Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women.
According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2018, more than 266,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die from the disease this year. In Tennessee, 5,590 women will be diagnosed this year, and 920 will die from the disease.
"It’s not too late to donate to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Greater Chattanooga. Visit MakingStridesWalk.org/ChattanoogaTN to help the American Cancer Society continue saving lives. For free breast cancer information and resources or to donate, visit the ACS, anytime day or night, at cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345," officials said.
The 2018 walk was made possible in part by the support of many local companies, including Wrigley Company Foundation, Sequatchie Concrete Service, University Surgical Associates, Volkswagen, Tennessee Valley & North Georgia Chevrolet Dealers and Sunbelt Bakery.