Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk Set For Sunday, October 15

WILTON — More than 5,000 men, women, and children from throughout Southwestern Connecticut are expected to join together on October 15 at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport to fight breast cancer during the American Cancer Society’s sixth annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event.

The largest breast cancer fundraiser in the nation, this local five mile walk will help celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Connecticut. Walkers from the area are expected to raise $500,000 in pledges to fund the American Cancer Society’s programs of breast cancer research, early detection and prevention education, and support programs for local breast cancer patients and their families.

Diane Sheridan, event manager, explains, “Many walkers are involved and motivated by personal experiences with breast cancer; they may have a family member, friend, or co-worker facing the disease. I am personally compelled to make a difference in the fight because, through my grandmother, mother, and my sister, I witnessed firsthand the fear, helplessness, and anger that come with a diagnosis. Unfortunately, breast cancer claimed the lives of my grandmother and my mother, whereas my sister’s prognosis is extremely promising, with only a four percent chance of recurrence. We need to continue the trend of progress and Making Strides is a catalyst to that end.”

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. In the United States, 182,800 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, along with 1,400 men. In Connecticut, there will be 2,300 women diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 500 women in our state are expected to die from the disease this year. Simply being a woman and growing older are the leading risk factors for breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society recommends a three pronged approach to breast health: monthly breast self exams, clinical breast exams, and mammography. Women with a family history of the disease should speak to their doctor about an appropriate detection schedule. If treated early, breast cancer is 96 percent curable and there are an estimated 1.6 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States today.

“Clearly, we are making progress in saving lives from breast cancer,” said Michelle Wolf, American Cancer Society regional executive for cancer control. “It is our goal to continue to reach out to local communities to ease the burden and to offer hope, progress, and answers, to improve patients’ quality of life, and, ultimately, to eliminate cancer as a major health threat.”

The American Cancer Society’s toll free 800/ACS-2345 number and Web site, www.cancer.org, are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the most up-to-date, comprehensive cancer information.

For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or how to walk or volunteer for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, please call the American Cancer Society at 800/889-3340, extension 243.