ROGERS -- Some wore pink tutus while others donned pink tiaras. Many more dyed their hair or pets pink. However participants decided to show solidarity in the fight against breast cancer, all of them gathered Saturday morning to help find a cure for this "insidious disease."
Despite a steady drizzle, roughly 8,000 people flocked to the Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall in Rogers for the 18th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
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Susan G. Komen Ozark was established in 1998 by a group of volunteers to increase awareness of breast cancer and raise funds to support those suffering from the disease.
In Arkansas, Komen Ozark serves Benton, Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Madison, Newton, Sebastian and Washington Counties; and, in Missouri, Stone and Taney Counties.
To learn more, make a donation or get involved with Komen Ozark, visit the organization’s website at www.komenozark.org.
Source: Susan G. Komen Ozark
Komen Ozark, the local affiliate serving 10 counties throughout Northwest Arkansas, the River Valley and southwest Missouri, established the race in 1999 as a way to support local men and women battling the disease.
Last year's event raised nearly $800,000 and organizers aimed for $1 million this year, according to Kari Nikolish, president of Komen Ozark's Board of Directors. Nikolish said Saturday the organization is about $150,000 shy of its goal, but has until June to close the gap.
"It's a very emotional race," Nikolish said. "There are personal connections in (the race) and Komen Ozark. If you didn't have one when you started, you do now through meeting (breast cancer) survivors and fighters."
A 12-year survivor of breast cancer, Nikolish said Komen Ozark's ultimate goal is to make breast cancer a treatable disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer claims roughly 40,400 people each year. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States and the leading cause of cancer death among women overall, the CDC said.
But, Nikolish said, Komen Ozark also tries to help patients navigate a complicated health care system.
"(The Affordable Care Act) has changed things. More people can get screened and tested, and Komen is there to help them," Nikolish said. "(Breast cancer) is scary for a lot of people. Komen wants to be there from the time of diagnosis and get people to action."
Since 1999, Komen Ozark has invested more than $9 million locally in community grants, awareness projects and advocacy, according to its website.
Those grants have helped fund "things in real time that will help a person get by while they receive treatment," Nikolish said. That includes everything from gas cards and housing to education and support from diagnosis through survivorship, according to Komen Ozark's website.
"What makes this disease so insidious is that it doesn't discriminate," Nikolish said. "Black, white, young or old. As long as you have breast tissue, you're at risk."
Pat Juby, Ginger Peterson and Phyllis Jackson are three sisters who have had a unique experience with breast cancer. Ginger and Pat are both breast cancer survivors, while Phyllis has been cancer free.
Phyllis, however, has subjected herself to a barrage of testing over the years in order to aid researchers studying the disease. Despite the litany of questionnaires and doctor visits, "she still likes us," Ginger joked.
Pat and Ginger also had diverse treatment experiences. Diagnosed in the 1990s, Pat never underwent chemotherapy, and instead had malignant lymph nodes removed via surgery.
Ginger, meanwhile, was diagnosed in 2006. She defeated breast cancer twice with the help of surgery and chemotherapy. Although she recently moved to Kansas, Ginger still returns for check-ups at Highlands Oncology in Fayetteville and to participate in the race.
As survivors, Ginger said, the "best thing we can be is encouraging."
That positive attitude and selfless approach personifies Komen Ozark's race, said Rogers Mayor Greg Hines.
"(The race) is an opportunity for everyone in the community, for all of us together to honor survivors and support fighters, give back and have fun," said Hines, whose grandmother overcame breast cancer. "One community at a time, we will find a cure."
NW News on 05/01/2016