CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A record 16,682 people took part in this year’s “Especially for You” Race Against Breast Cancer in Cedar Rapids, the largest turnout in the event’s 35-year history.
The annual race, which started and finished at Mercy Medical Center, raises money for the Especially for You fund. This year’s registrations brought in more than $529,000 to help local residents pay for breast and gynecological cancer screenings and services.
Since the fund began, it’s supported more than 15,000 people in Linn County with more than 44,000 services.
The event featured a 5K run, 5K walk, and one-mile family walk, along with music, kids’ activities, and food trucks at the finish line near Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center.
More than 1,000 cancer survivors participated in the race, which included runners and walkers from 514 cities, 41 states, and even two other countries.
The first “Especially for You” race took place in 1991 with just over 1,000 participants. It was created in memory of Sandy Knight, a Whittier resident and General Mills employee who died of breast cancer that same year.
Full race results will be available at especiallyforyourace.org.