Thousands 'Race for the Cure' in midtown

ATLANTA — Thousands of people are in midtown to run breast cancer out of town.

That’s the mission for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Atlanta, which kicked off in midtown early Saturday morning. Organizers expect 15,000 to participate in the annual effort, which supports breast cancer programs in Georgia.

Komen Greater Atlanta workers and volunteers say Race for the Cure is their biggest fundraiser, and they hope race numbers top last year's.

"We expect to raise $1.5 million, and 75 percent will stay right here locally in metro Atlanta," said Cati Stone with Komen Greater Atlanta.

Komen Greater Atlanta is a local resource for women who need breast cancer screening, diagnostics and support. The organization has raised more than $35 million in the past 20 years.

A local woman is one of dozens who will be honored this weekend as breast cancer survivors. 

Frances Wand said she's on the road to recovery because of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Atlanta.

Wand told Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer she discovered a lump in her breast was cancer when she was between jobs and had no insurance.

“Without the funding Komen provided, I would not have been able to get a mammogram,” Wand said, noting that she underwent 15 surgeries. “I’m a survivor, and God gave me the chance to walk the steps to complete the race."

Every year, 100 local women find out they have cancer through Komen grants, officials told Stouffer.

That money goes to things like a mobile mammography unit. Advancements in imaging make it possible to find more tumors, more quickly.

Meanwhile, doctors remind women that early detection is the best weapon while researchers find a cure.

Click here to donate to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Atlanta

WSB-TV is a proud sponsor for the organization and several members of the Channel 2 Action News participated in the race.

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