Komen Charlotte Race for the Cure of breast cancer draws thousands
Thirteen years ago, Jennifer Sherrel beat Stage 4 breast cancer, but the disease kept popping up in other parts of her body, including the liver, lungs and bones.
The 44 year old registered nurse from Charlotte, who is unable to walk, thought she miss Saturday Komen Charlotte Race for the Cure breast cancer event because her blood count was too low earlier in the week.
But the count improved on Friday, and Sherrel participated in the race, wearing a mask to protect her from germs and riding through uptown in a pedicab. Around her was a crowd of people wearing pink wigs, pink tutus, and at least one pink taffeta dress.
was beautiful to see all the smiling faces, Sherrel said. gave me a thrill. A crowd of at least 20,000 came out for the 18th annual race, which started and ended at Marshall Park. Last year, the event raised $1.3 million in pledges and other donations. This year event raised $1.4 million.
Seventy five percent of the patagonia guide pants 521money stays in Charlotte to pay for early detection, education and treatment, said Tami Simmons, executive director of the Susan G. Komen Charlotte affilpatagonia guide pants 523iate, which serves Mecklenburg and eight surrounding counties. The other 25 pdiscount patagonia capileneercent goes to breast cancer research.
is an infectious event every year, Simmons said of the race. always feel the energy. We out here making a difference. Marshall Park was a sea of pink right down to the pink portable toilets and dogs, large and small, sporting pink gear. Live music filled the air apatagonia simple guide pants smalls participants in a 5K run or a 5K walk ate bananas, sipped bottled water and snapped selfies.
T shirts bore messages like Stop, Can Stop. Garth Mullings came out to walk with his wife, Monica, who is a breast cancer survivor.
here in support of my wife and the cause in general, said Mullings, 74, of Cornelius. think I be here regardless of whether my wife was a survivor or not. Monica Mullings, 62, was the leapatagonia pelage jacket reviewsder of a 25 member team in the 5K walk.
come here every year since I was diagnosed, she said. so moving. I feel blessed every morning I get up and put my two feet on the floor. Race volunteer and breast cadiscount patagonia women re-tool pulloverncer survivor Neel Stallings of Charlotte recalled how she got involved with the event. Eighteen years ago, when her sister was diapatagonia 7 inch baggies for salegnosed with breast cancer, Stallings decided she wanted to get work to fight against the disease. Advocacy Committee.
evangelistically passionate about this caupatagonia full zip rese, said Stallings, 67. tell people to live each day as a gift. And pay attention to your body. Know your body. If something doesn feel right, do not wait. Go and see. As walkers headed to the starting line, Gerrie Burke, 65, of Charlotte reflected on how she outlived her mother and twin sister, both of whom died from breast cancer. For nearly 33 years, Burke has been a breast cancer survivor.
a miracle, Burke said. I can talk about it, sometimes I can When you lose an identical twin, it hits home. It copatagonia guide pants 522uld have been me. Breast cancer survivor Marianne Provenpatagonia discount code holidayzola waited on the race to start with Team Funsize 25 friends dressed up like superheroes.
these people helped me through my operation, said Provenzola, 53, of Cornelius.
Last year, she came to her first Race for the Cure event.
love it, Provenzola said. message is: Stomp out cancer. Be a superhero. Riding around uptown Charlotte in a pedicab on Saturday gave Sherrel time to reflect on the past and future. Married and the mother of an 11 year old son, she been on chemotherapy nonstop since 2001. On Oct. 15, Sherrel faces another liver surgery.
Her fighting spirit is fueled by family and friends, Sherrel said. have a huge support system. That helped her keep a defiant, never give up attitude.
Said Sherrel: want to be the woman that when she puts her feet on the ground the devil says, no, she up.
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