Racing to Run Breast Cancer Out of Town!

Survivors cross the Race Start Line.
©2011 Sean M. Friedman. Click to Enlarge Photo

Sunday, September 9th marks the 22nd walking/running of the Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure. The premier fundraiser for Komen Greater NYC, this inspiring event raises millions each year to underwrite vital breast health services for uninsured and underinsured New Yorkers who might otherwise go without breast health screening, treatment and support. The monies raised also go to fund national breast cancer research to find the cures.

Race Day hosts will include CBS2 anchor Maurice DuBois, weatherman John Elliott and the Women of CBS 2 (Carolina Bermudez, Mary Calvi, Elise Finch, Cindy Hsu, Kristine Johnson, Katie McGee, and Dana Tyler), as well as Fresh 102.7’s Kim Berk.

This year, the Race is bringing back many of its most popular features along with some exciting new additions:

• Survivors can again compete in the Survivor Race T-Shirt Fashion Show, march in the Survivor Parade and participate in the Survivor Photo shoot, which includes a special raffle just for Survivors at the photo.
• Participants can take advantage of the new Cool Down Lounge after the Race, get health tests/tips in the Wellness Zone, and have their photo taken and uploaded to Facebook in the Bandshell area.
• Children can enjoy a full-range of activities in the expanded Kids Zone.
• Beefy – the skateboarding bulldog – will be on hand at the pre-Race information booth to take photos with kids and adults alike.
• This year’s Bandshell entertainment will be Emergency Services Band, whose new album is Feel Your Love.

Why We Race
“We are extremely proud of the progress that has been made in breast health awareness and the reduction of breast cancer mortality,” said Vern Calhoun, Komen Greater NYC Acting Executive Director, “but we still have a long way to go. Twenty women in the US are diagnosed with the disease every hour; one woman every three minutes. In New York, about 14,000 women will be diagnosed this year; 2,700 will die.”

This is why we Race.

“In 2012, Komen Greater NYC distributed $3.0 million in grants to local greater metropolitan breast health organizations,” continued Calhoun. “But the demand for services surpasses what we can provide. The Race is our best hope for raising more funds so we can increase our ability to underwrite grants to community-based programs providing education and outreach, screening coordination, treatment and support services to vulnerable New Yorkers. We also invested $1.4 million in research to find the cures.”

Race participants will walk or run the 5K (3.1 mile) course through Central Park, starting on Central Park West across from the American Museum of Natural History and ending at the Bandshell, south of Bethesda Terrace. The Race also includes a special shortened course for the disabled, elderly, cancer survivors undergoing treatment and others who cannot finish the complete route.

“With the economy still stagnant, more people are losing their access to health care and need our help,” explained Calhoun. “That is why the Race and other Komen Greater NYC events are so important. We are determined to make sure people do not become statistics because of circumstances beyond their control.” Breast cancer knows no boundaries, which is why Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure is reaching out to the New York metropolitan area’s diverse community to involve them in the Race. Komen Greater NYC grantees are distributing Race materials in Arabic, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Korean and Spanish.

Celebrating Survivors
Celebrating Survivors is a major component of the Race. The special area for Survivors and their families — Survivor Village — starts off the day at 7:00 am with a pre-Race breakfast followed by the Survivor Program, during which the Survivor and Co-Survivor of the Year will be honored.

After the Race, Survivors can take advantage of relaxing massage treatments and refreshments. This year, we’re bringing back the popular Survivor Race T-Shirt Fashion Show, which will take place after the Race on the stage of the Bandshell.

Survivor and friends at the Race.
©2011 Sarah McKoy. Click to Enlarge Photo

Survivors can design personalized t-shirts (a la Project Runway) and strut their stuff on stage. Winners will receive special prizes.

At 11:10 am, the Survivor Parade will step off from Survivor Village winding through the Bandshell area to Bethesda Terrace. This year, K-8 students from Manhattan’s Special Music School will lead the parade. The procession will end in time for marchers to join fellow Survivors on the Bethesda Terrace steps for the annual Survivor Photo.

Special Race Day Features
Education Expo
This year’s Education Expo, located north of the Bandshell, will include representatives from more than 30 Komen Greater NYC grantees. Their representatives will hand out breast health education materials, discuss breast health with Race participants, and explain how Komen Greater NYC funding raised through the Race last year helped them serve the women in their communities.

This year’s Race includes fun activities for both adults and children.

Cool Down Lounge
After crossing the finish line, participants can head over to the Cool Down Lounge where they will find lounge chairs, electronic foot massagers and misting fans courtesy of Weight Watchers. Refreshments will also be available including free Aquafina water and Yoplait yogurt.

Wellness Zone
This year, the Wellness Zone, located on Survivor Lane, will include a van from Walgreen’s “Way to Well” tour.

Race participants 18-years-old and older will be able to take advantage of a host of free preventive health exams and risk assessments. The 20-minute process includes tests for total cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, body composition, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, visceral fat, real body age and body weight.

Komen Greater NYC 2010 Grantee of the Year, Project Renewal, will be providing free mammograms from its mobile mammography ScanVan, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Appointments are preferred and can be made by calling 1-800-564-6868.

The Kids Zone
The Kids Zone is going to be better than ever. Thanks to Modell’s Sporting Goods, children will be able to play beanbag toss, badminton, beach ball and Velcro catch^®, as well as jump rope. They’ll also be able to practice their soccer kicks at specially set up goals.

Get Your Photo Taken & Uploaded to Facebook
Have your photo taken in front of the Race step-and-repeat banner and immediately uploaded to Facebook. This new Race feature will be located in the Bandshell area.

Special Appearance: Beefy the Skateboarding Bulldog
Beefy, the skateboarding bulldog, is rolling across the US to raise money to fight breast cancer. Beefy is making a special appearance at Advance Registration on Saturday, September 8th at the New York Hilton (10:00 am - 2:00 pm) and at the information table on Race Day prior to start of the event (72nd Street and Central Park West).

Beefy will also be on hand in the Bandshell area to take photos with children and adults alike!

Bandshell Entertainment
We’re excited that Emergency Services will be providing this year’s music at the Bandshell. The band fuses elements of pop/rock and hip-hop with a dash of reggae. Its new album, Feel Your Love, was just released.

Register Today!
Help us run breast cancer out of town. If you haven’t already signed up, register today!

You still have time to form a team. Teams are the heart and soul of the Race. All you need is five people to experience the Race in this very special way.

Can’t be there on Race Day? You can still register and Sleep In for the Cure.

Take advantage of our fantastic Pledge Prize Program. All you have to do is complete the $250 Challenge, which will take you to the first fundraising level for which prizes are available. You will have your choice of an average of ten prizes per level! As your pledges increases, so do the prize levels and their offerings. Remember, your total is based on how much you raise through October 31, 2012. So there’s still plenty of time to fundraise and win!

Race Sponsors
The Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure would not be possible without our committed sponsors.

The Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure Local Presenting Sponsor is Duane Reade.

2012 sponsors include:

• Diamond Sponsors – JPMorgan Chase and PepsiCo
• Media Sponsors – CBS 2 / WLNY 10|55, New York Post, 1010 WINS, Fresh 102.7, New York Amsterdam News
• Platinum Sponsors – Farmland Dairies, Key Food, Macy’s, Inc., Regal Entertainment Group
• Gold Sponsors – Accenture, Barclays, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Oz Moving & Storage, Statue Cruises/Hornblower Cruises & Events
• Silver – Old Navy, Pfizer Oncology, The PIMCO Foundation, White Rose-Good Neighbor Program

Komen Greater NYC thanks the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation for all it does to make the Race possible. Komen Greater NYC thanks Oz Moving & Storage, Action Carting and CENYC for their support.

National Race Series Sponsors are American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, New Balance Athletic Shoe Company, Inc., RE/MAX International^®, Self Magazine, Stanley Steemer, Walgreens, and Yoplait. Bank of America and Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity sponsor the Breast Cancer Survivor Recognition Program; Georgia-Pacific sponsors the Race Series’ Volunteer Recognition Program.