NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Thousands of breast cancer survivors, patients, caregivers and supporters gathered Sunday in Central Park and Jones Beach for the American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks, raising awareness about early detection, research and support for those affected by the disease.
Organizers expected about 50,000 participants in Central Park and another 70,000 at Jones Beach, creating seas of pink at both events as walkers came together with a shared goal: ending breast cancer.
Among those participating in Central Park was breast cancer survivor Deanna, who said she first took part in the walk before learning she had cancer herself.
“My first walk with Strides, it was I walked for someone else and I didn’t know I had cancer…I was diagnosed in November of 2022 and then I had a double masectomy in 2023.”
She credited family members, friends and coworkers for helping her through treatment and said the experience reinforced the importance of hope.
“Cancer didn’t change or take away my hope. It actually brought me more hope. It’s about paying forward,” she said.
She also wore a sash covered with pins representing friends and loved ones affected by cancer.
“I walk for everyone. You know, cancer affects everybody,” she said.
At Jones Beach, Eyewitness News reporter Stacy Sager, a longtime participant and breast cancer survivor, shared her own experience with the disease, including two breast cancer diagnoses and ovarian cancer.
“One in eight women will face a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. I have faced two of those in my lifetime…two separate diagnoses of breast cancer with an ovarian cancer in between because I am BRCA1 positive and that means I have an elevated risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer,” she said.
Sager encouraged screening and genetic testing, saying early detection helped save her life.
“I advocate that people should get their genetic tests. People should get their mammograms. Certainly those things saved my life three times over in three decades,” she said.
She also highlighted the American Cancer Society’s investment in research.
“In the last three plus decades, the American Cancer Society has been investing in lifesaving research. They have invested more than $600 million in research,” she said.
Participants at both walks emphasized the importance of community support, awareness and access to screenings and treatment. Organizers said the events are designed not only to raise funds for research, but also to connect survivors, patients and families facing breast cancer.
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