Annual 5K run raises money for breast-cancer programs
By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer
Applications are now available for the 7th annual Susan G. Komen Hawaii Race for the Cure on Sept. 30. The purpose: to raise funds for local and national organizations that help fight breast cancer.
The event features a 5K run beginning at 7:30 a.m. and a one-mile walk starting at 7:45 a.m. at Kapi'olani Park. Country singer Dita Holifield will kick off the awards ceremony at 8:45 a.m. as breast-cancer survivors and supporters enjoy a breakfast. The highlight: a scheduled gathering by the survivors on the steps of the Kapi'olani Park bandstand for a group photo.
Race chairman Vik Watumull, who has been in charge of the event since 1995 in honor of his mother, Indru, a breast cancer survivor. He said, 75 percent of the net proceeds from the event will remain in Hawai'i to fund local breast cancer programs. The remaining 25 percent of proceeds will be given to national programs through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
"There are so many great causes," said Watumull. "It's just something that you want to keep out there and keep people thinking about. We have to make it more than just a 5K race." One of the big changes in the race this year, he said, is the establishment of a board of directors that will try to create a more prominent year-round presence.
Some of the 3,700 participants last year wore "in memory of" and "in celebration of" signs on their T-shirts. Survivors wore pink. This year, Watumull expects 5,000 runners and walkers, and is looking for businesses or groups to host a Paint the Town Pink event (or even decorate a building) the week preceding the race. All entrants are eligible for prizes provided by Honolulu merchants, as well as the grand prize — round trip air transportation to any destination in the United States on American Airlines.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker in memory of her sister, who died of breast cancer at the age of 36. According to statistics, one in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 80 percent of all breast cancers occur in women with no known risk factors. The good news? Early detection, when the disease is confined to the breast, results in a five-year survival rate of 95 percent.
Registration is $18, or $22 after Sept. 22; or $15 per person for groups of five or more mailed in one envelope. A tip: On Sept. 8, the Chevron station at Stadium Marketplace on Salt Lake Boulevard will pay the entry fees of the first 400 people who show up. For more information, visit www.raceforthecurehawaii.org or call 973-5967.
