{"id":254741,"date":"2026-07-29T16:42:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/254741\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T16:42:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:42:27","slug":"inaugural-clarks-summit-goes-pink-race-to-raise-awareness-education-about-breast-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/254741\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural Clarks Summit Goes Pink race to raise awareness, education about breast cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

A chance visit to a breast cancer awareness run along the Delaware shore inspired an Abingtons couple to organize one close to home.<\/p>\n

The first Clarks Summit Goes Pink 5K run and walk will take place Aug. 15 in the borough. It will include the 5K run, 1-mile Fun Walk and Kids\u2019 1-Mile Fun Walk, plus a community block party.<\/p>\n

The event is modeled after Dewey Goes Pink, a similar walk and 5K race in Dewey Beach, Delaware. The event, which started in 2011, has raised nearly $2 million for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, according to that organization\u2019s website. The block party will feature Kristen and the Noise, a Philadelphia-area band that has performed yearly at Dewey Goes Pink.<\/p>\n

Scott Shimko, president of the nonprofit Clarks Summit Goes Pink, said he and his wife, Colleen Shimko, discovered Dewey Goes Pink during a trip to Rehoboth Beach in 2019 with friends to celebrate her 40th birthday. The couple enjoyed it so much they decided to see the event yearly.<\/p>\n

The cause became personal for the Shimkos when Colleen was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2023. They and their friends participated in the race after she completed her treatments in January 2024.\n<\/p>\n

The Shimkos, who reside in Clarks Green, decided shortly after finishing the race to do something to raise money for breast cancer-related initiatives locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ran with it and here we are,\u201d Scott Shimko said.<\/p>\n

Colleen Shimko, the nonprofit\u2019s vice president, said while she was fortunate to have support during her treatments, she believes the race gives the community a chance to come together to help others.<\/p>\n

She said Steve \u201cMonty\u201d Montgomery, the founder of Dewey Goes Pink, gave the nonprofit some tips for starting the race. They chose to hold it in August to not intrude on other 5K races in the Abingtons that take place during the spring and fall, and because of its convenience for families with children. The race also honors Street Dance, a live music event that used to be held on Spring Street that has since been discontinued.<\/p>\n

Most of the money raised will go to the Wright Center for Community Health, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute and Hematology and Oncology Associates of Northeastern Pennsylvania, with a small portion going toward the nonprofit\u2019s operating expenses. The public can also send monetary donations online.<\/p>\n

The Shimkos emphasized the event will be family- and business-friendly.<\/p>\n

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A sign promoting Clarks Summit Goes Pink is created in front of Clarks Summit Elementary School in Clarks Summit Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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A sign promoting breast cancer awareness is placed in front of Clarks Summit Elementary School in Clarks Summit Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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A sign promoting Clarks Summit Goes Pink is created in front of Clarks Summit Elementary School in Clarks Summit Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re trying to get the community and the businesses involved and not just have everyone focused in at the concert area on Spring Street,\u201d Scott Shimko said. \u201cWe want everyone to go out in the community and visit all the shops, visit different restaurants, make it a really fun day and event that everyone could be involved in.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also aim for it to educate, empower and inspire \u2014 for instance, by honoring borough resident Kathy McDonald, who has fought breast cancer three times.<\/p>\n

The couple said the response to the race, which they foresee being a yearly event, has been overwhelming from participants and sponsors. As of Tuesday, Scott Shimko said 550 people have signed up, an amount he feels they can handle.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on everything we\u2019ve researched in coordinating with our race director, we are comfortable in that we can accommodate the numbers that we have,\u201d he said. \u201cAll the local businesses are very excited. They\u2019re thrilled to have this many people in town and it\u2019s going to be a great community event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Race details<\/p>\n

The inaugural Clarks Summit Goes Pink will step off Saturday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. at Davis and Zimmerman streets. The race is expected to finish around 11:30 a.m. It will include awards.<\/p>\n

The race will go down Davis Street, turn onto West Grove Street, then Bissell Street, Knapp Road, behind Clarks Summit Elementary School, then turn onto Carnation Drive, then onto Grandview Street, Lilac Lane, Laurel Lane, Barberry Lane, back onto Grandview Street, then back onto West Grove Street, then Center Street, turning onto Winola Road, then ending on Depot Street. All streets will be open to traffic, except Depot Street, which will be closed from around 10 to 11:30 a.m. Clarks Summit police and race volunteers will help with traffic.<\/p>\n

The block party will take place on Spring Street and will start at noon. It will feature Kristen and the Noise, who will perform from noon to around 5 p.m. Kids\u2019 activities and an ice cream truck will be set up at the Depot Street Pocket Park.<\/p>\n

Registration is $40 per person and $15 for children 12 and younger. Registration and information can be found at csgoespink.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A chance visit to a breast cancer awareness run along the Delaware shore inspired an Abingtons couple to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254742,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[1993,201,182,139,28,178,180,179,289,181],"class_list":["post-254741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-clarks-summit","tag-lackawanna-county","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-stt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254741"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254741\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}