This past weekend, I walked in Atlanta's Race for the Cure. This was my first one, as I was in the middle of treatment last year. Did I actually run? Hell, no. I walked that 5k. Alan joined me this time. We spent out morning helping out the local chapter of the Young Survival Coalition. Then off we went.
I only have the Breast Cancer 3-day to compare it to. They're very different events. The 3-day is a national event, while the Race raises money for local outreach and research. Everything stays in Atlanta. You have to raise $2200 to walk the 3-day, most people in the Race only pay a $25 participation fee. So there's like 15,000 people vs the 2,000 at the 3-day. And of course, it's three days and 60 miles, a much bigger commitment.
I guess I'm saying I was disappointed by the Race for the Cure. It was so big and so commercial. And everyone wandered around tents just getting their free stuff. And there was no real ceremony per se, no sense of communion. People showed up, walked their 5k, got their t-shirt and left. There were awards and stuff but it was done on stage in front of maybe a couple hundred people while others paid no attention. I guess I was hoping it would be meaningful and it wasn't really.
On the flip side, did it raise a shit load of money? Yep. Did it involve people that otherwise wouldn't be? You bet. Did people perhaps get information along with their free koozie? Uh-huh. So in that respect, it was valuable. And will I do it again next year? Sure, it was a nice way to spend a Saturday morning. But I look forward to another 3-day in October.
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1 comment:
This is in response to the disappointed post by Courtney. I am a male and I ran the 5K solely to raise money for the cure. I am lucky so far to not have any family or friends that have been confronted with any type of cancer. I would think that most people, like myself, left after the race to allow more 1-on-1 time so to speak; for the survivors. Our leaving was in no way due to a lack of respect or concern to those whose lifes have been impacted by breast cancer. It takes corporate sponsors to promote an event like this and part of corporate America, is giving away free stuff. Atleast everything had something to spread the word about the "Race for the Cure".
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