Baltimore Fundraiser: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer raises money for research
BALTIMORE -- A sea of pink took over the Camden Yards Sports Complex on Saturday morning.
Thousands of people cheered as they participated in the annual fundraiser walk Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
WJZ was a proud media sponsor of the event.
Several cancer survivors proudly wore blankets, sashes, crowns and even shirts that showed their warrior mentality.
"I wanted something showing a woman like a warrior—survivor woman who has courage and tenacity," Debbie Sadler-Lynch said.
Sadler-Lynch is a three-year breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2020.
After Sadler-Lynch shed her tears, she found a positive spirit to drive her to make change, she said.
With her rallying efforts and support from her coworkers, her job, Lorien Health Services, raised more than $48,000 dollars in just two months for the American Cancer Society.
"Being here today and seeing the support for survivors and thrivers is amazing," Sadler-Lynch said. "This is what it's all about."
These dollars go to a variety of services and technologies that help people battle cancer and prevent the disease from returning.
"It helps the clinical trials that help cure more patients of breast cancer as well as other services such as nutritional and emotional support for our patients," Dr. Yousef Gaffar, a medical oncologist, said.
A mammogram is a critical line of defense for tackling breast cancer in its early stages.
But getting screened for breast cancer is not the only action a person can take, breast cancer survivor Madeline Long, a Faces of Hope ambassador, said.
"One of the biggest problems we have is what's called 'loss of follow-up,' she said. "We don't know where these women are after they have their mammograms. So, grab your girls and ask your girl, 'Sis, what was your results? What happened? Do you need me?' We are not going to just say get the mammogram but what happens after the mammogram."