San Franciscans turn out for breast cancer walk

  • 2015-07-21
Breast cancer survivors and their friends and families in San Francisco turned out for the Avon 39 Walk to End Breast Cancer recently.

On July 12, 2015, about 2,500 people walked to celebrate those who had survived the disease, honor those that had passed on, and raise funds to continue the work to find a cure.

Most of the participants wore pink, which has become the color that symbolizes the fight against this disease. One survivor, Rachel Perez, stood out even from this colorful crowd, wearing a black cape with a pink Superman ‘S’, bedazzled with beads, on it. Perez considers it a tribute to Superwoman defeating cancer.

The event was held at Fort Mason, and saw participants take part in a 39-mile walk that began Saturday. Participants walked the first 26 miles, following the route from Fort Mason to Corte Madera Town Park. On Sunday, walkers covered the final 13 miles, ending up back at Fort Mason.

According to Avon spokeswoman Jill Surdyka, the event raised over $4.6m, much of which will remain in San Francisco at institutions such as U.C. San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital, and the Alameda Health System Foundation.

Event organizers might like to build on this year's success by working with brochure printers to create a booklet about the walk, asking people to be aware of next year's event, and raising more awareness of the disease.