VIDEO/PHOTOS: Race for the Cure again a pink-tinted blast in Little Rock

Thronged streets a celebration of survival, an offer of hope

Sharon Johnese (center) and other breast cancer survivors march Saturday morning in the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure survivors parade in Little Rock. More than 20,000 people participated in this year’s event to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/galleries.
Sharon Johnese (center) and other breast cancer survivors march Saturday morning in the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure survivors parade in Little Rock. More than 20,000 people participated in this year’s event to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/galleries.

Judith Horsey's reason for walking in the Komen Race for the Cure each year in Little Rock is simple.

"Because I am still living," the 70-year-old breast cancer survivor said shortly before Saturday's event, the 23rd in the Arkansas affiliate's history.

Horsey, a Little Rock resident who has been free of the disease for six years, has taken part in every Little Rock Race for the Cure since she was diagnosed. She said she likes to support the effort to find a cure while also giving hope to those still battling the disease and finding inspiration herself from those who have survived longer than her.

She noted that she had talked at the race with women free of the cancer for 14 and 15 years.

"We just reminisce on how long it's been," Horsey said. "I can see they're enthusiastic about it. So that gives me hope."

On Saturday, Horsey was one of thousands of women who dressed in pink and took part in the annual 5K run that goes through the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock. Some 24,000 people were expected to walk, jog or run in the event, making it one of the largest Komen races in the country.

[GALLERY: Photos from Saturday's Race for the Cure]

The Little Rock event has been the second-largest such race in the U.S. each of the past two years, said Shawna Long, the 2016 race chairman.

Long, who arrived more than three hours before the race kicked off at 8 a.m., called it a "special morning." Of the money raised, 75 percent will stay in Arkansas and be directed toward grants for hospitals and clinics, while the rest will be used for research, she said.

"I have met the most awesome survivors this year," Long said. "It is so important. I hear stories every day about survivors that have benefited from Komen grants."

Saturday's race started on Capitol Avenue just west of Broadway with participants first heading toward the state Capitol, then turning back east along Sixth Street and later crossing the Main Street Bridge into North Little Rock and back.

Along the way, racers passed firefighters handing out pink beads, bands and DJs playing music along the street and throngs of supporters waving signs and offering high-fives.

Some participants wore pink from head to toe while others accessorized with pink feather boas, hats or bandannas. With an outfit that included pink tights, a pink tutu, a pink wig and a pink-dyed goatee, 51-year-old Danny Koteras of Sherwood posed for photos with race participants before the event started.

"It's just a fun thing to get out and do and support breast cancer awareness," he said, noting the disease hits close to home: his mother-in-law survived the disease, and her mother died from it.

Sheila Sims, a 63-year-old from Little Rock who has been free of breast cancer for five years, said she enjoyed being a part of the event as a way to "give camaraderie to the sisters that are still in the battle."

"It's just wonderful people to see so many people bonding with each other for a great cause," she said. "It's a hard fight, but it's a grateful fight once you do it."

Metro on 10/23/2016

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