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Race for the Cure a special event for many

3 min read
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The survivor parade, a tribute that honors all breast cancer survivors, has been the featured event at the Komen Race for the Cure in Pittsburgh.

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The survivor tribute after the parade brings together those who have fought or continue to fight breast cancer.

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Thousands gather before a previous Komen Race for the Cure event in Pittsburgh.

The thought was always in the back of Ilene Iskoe’s mind.

After her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, one of her cousins and four aunts also were diagnosed.

“It was almost not if, but when,” said Iskoe, who had her first mammogram nearly at the same time her mother received her diagnosis.

That “when” came in 2009, and soon thereafter, Iskoe and her family piled into the car at their Upper St. Clair home to start what has become a family tradition.

Their destination on that mid-May morning was Pittsburgh for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, held to remember those who have lost their battle with breast cancer and recognize those who have either won or continue their battle.

Iskoe said one of the biggest decisions she had to make that day was what to wear. She said she didn’t feel comfortable wearing the pink, cotton survivor T-shirt worn by so many others at the race.

“I don’t know why I didn’t wear it,” Iskoe said. “I didn’t feel like I was surviving something. I didn’t necessarily want that attention on myself.”

Eight years later and seven races through Pittsburgh’s streets – including the 25th annual event Sunday at Schenley Park – Iskoe has never second-guessed her decision to wear that pink T-shirt after her first race.

“I feel so lucky to be in that group of survivors,” she said. “When you see all of the pink shirts, you truly cannot imagine how special of a moment that is. It’s a sea of pink. It just really warms your heart to see all the different people, both women and men, of different ages and races all sharing this one thing.”

The event will feature a kids’ dash, survivor parade and tribute, a 5K competitive run, 5K walk and one-mile fun walk to raise money for both local programs and national research for breast cancer education, screening and treatment. The Race for the Cure has helped support more than 3 million survivors through research and community programs.

Susan G. Komen Pittsburgh provides outreach to 34 counties in western and central Pennsylvania. What the nonprofit organization really has been able to do is make breast cancer a topic of conversation and help raise awareness.

“To see everything that Komen has done to make this visible is amazing,” said Lou Ann Jeremko of Mt. Lebanon, executive director at Consumer Health Coalition.

Jeremko began participating and volunteering with the race in Pittsburgh 24 years ago after her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer three decades ago.

“It was just a nice little event. Then, within a number of years, we saw over 30,000 people participate,” she said. “Out of everything that happens that day, I tear up thinking about the survivor walk. It is stunning to see all of these women and men collectively walk before the race begins. So many things have changed, but not that. It’s very important.”

Both Iskoe and Jeremko said it’s a day that brings people together fighting for a common goal.

“I think there are a lot of people who come from all over to participate in the major city closest to them,” Iskoe said. “It’s something you truly can’t imagine until you go down there and experience the electricity of the integration between all the people.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling. It pulls the entire community together because it touches everyone’s family in one way or another.”

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