CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa \u2014 A record 16,682 people took part in this year\u2019s \u201cEspecially for You\u201d Race Against Breast Cancer in Cedar Rapids, the largest turnout in the event\u2019s 35-year history.<\/p>\n
The annual race, which started and finished at Mercy Medical Center, raises money for the Especially for You fund. This year\u2019s registrations brought in more than $529,000 to help local residents pay for breast and gynecological cancer screenings and services.<\/p>\n
Since the fund began, it\u2019s supported more than 15,000 people in Linn County with more than 44,000 services.<\/p>\n
The event featured a 5K run, 5K walk, and one-mile family walk, along with music, kids\u2019 activities, and food trucks at the finish line near Mercy\u2019s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The first \u201cEspecially for You\u201d 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.<\/p>\n