Komen Race for the Cure returns to Great Adventure

JACKSON - The Komen Race for the Cure will return to the Six Flags Great Adventure theme park, Route 537, on Oct. 5 with a goal of once again raising funds to help fight breast cancer.

"We have accomplished a lot over the past 14 years. We've raised $17 million, investing $3.3 million to support cutting-edge research and over $10 million into local community breast health education and screening programs," said Nancy Healey, executive director of the Komen Central and South Jersey Affiliate. "But there is still much work to be done."

Registration for the Oct. 5 event is now under way.

Healey said the two greatest risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and getting old.

"This is a disease that knows no boundaries. We are committed to increasing mammograms in order to save lives through early detection," she said.

The Race for the Cure is described as a tribute to breast cancer survivors and a time to remember those who have died from the disease as people rally to find a cure and to promote early breast cancer detection.

This year the affiliate invested $1.4 million to support community education and screening programs through its service area of 13 counties.

"We expect to reach 55,000 people through our grantfunded programs," Healey said.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded on a sister's promise 25 years ago.

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982 that promise led to the creation of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement.

With nearly $1 billion invested to date, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest private supporter of breast cancer research, according to information provided by the organization.

The race is still being run because one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Every three seconds a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and 6,500 women in New Jersey are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and 1,600 women die, according to the information provided. Early detection of the disease is the key to survival, yet many women do not get an annual mammogram or perform breast self-exams, according to the organization.

For more information about the Oct. 5 event at Great Adventure, visit www.komencsnj.org and click Events.