Making Strides Against Breast Cancer In Prospect Park

The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Prospect Park will start on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m.

The three-mile walk, which will start at the bandshell at 9th Street and Prospect Park West, will help fund research to find a cure and give back to families who are effected by the disease in Brooklyn.

The event already has 20,000 participants and will celebrate breast cancer survivors and will also be celebrating its tenth year anniversary.

“This is a really important walk for The American Cancer Society,” said Jessica Peterman, the director of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Brooklyn. “It is the biggest fundraising health walk in Brooklyn. The funds we raise will go back to help families in the borough with the disease, survivors and to the office here to help fund early detection.”

Making Strides has already raised $327,275.09 through fundraising and donations, still with one day and 20 hours until the actually walk.

As of Friday, the top participant, Monica Coronado, raised $7,391, the top team, the Brooklyn North Beauties Fighting the Beast, raised $12,145 and the top company, SUNY Downstate Medical Center raised $18,088.

The goals of the walk, according to the Making Strides website, is to continue the work they are doing to find a cure, educate and hopefully provide all people with free access to screenings and care:

• Educate and empower men and women to live healthy lives and reduce their risk for breast cancer by increasing early detection through mammograms.
• Provide information, day-to-day help and emotional support to people with breast cancer.
• Invest in and conduct research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries into breast cancer’s causes and cures.
• Work with legislators to support laws that help fight breast cancer and help all people get access to screenings and care.

There is no minimum donation required to participate. If you are interested in getting involved you can join a team, walk as an individual, donate online, sign up to be a volunteer, help spread the word through Facebook, or double your donation by seeing if your employer matches gifts.    

In 2010, more than 800,000 individuals across the country joined the American Cancer Society walk and raised $60 million nationwide.

Information for Walkers:

Making Strides registration opens at 10 a.m. and the walk starts at 11 a.m. at the 9th Street Bandshell in Prospect Park. The entire walk is stroller and wheelchair accessible. 

The 86th Street Chevrolet will be donating their staff and two vehicles to pick up walkers from Grand Army Plaza subway station (2, 3 trains) and the 7th Avenue subway station (B, Q) and will drop them off at the 9th Street Bandshell. This service will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. for all walkers.

Breast cancer survivors should stop by the Survivor Tent for a free t-shirt and then gather at the starting line by 10:50 a.m. to lead the walk.