Thousands ran through the streets in cities across the province on Sunday to raise money for breast cancer research.
The annual CIBC Run for the Cure was held in six cities in Alberta, including Edmonton. The event has raised millions of dollars for breast cancer research and support for survivors.
Many of the participants were survivors of the disease.
“Both my daughter and I have gone through breast cancer and there are way too many women that we lose every year,” said Carol Petterson. “It’s a horrible disease and we’ve got to fight it with everything we’ve got.”
Amanda LeBlanc, a volunteer at the event, said that although one in nine Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, there are some positive statistics.
“The mortality rates for breast cancer in women have gone down 42 per cent since 1986,” LeBlanc said. “Obviously large scale events like the CIBC run for the cure, fundraising towards medical research, all that stuff is making a difference.”
Jim Dosman participated in the run on Sunday. His mother passed away from breast cancer complications and his sister is currently battling the disease.
“It’s a show of support, that’s the biggest thing, and of course raising money,” Dosman said. “They need good doctors, good medicine, good machinery to take care of this. That’s the real reason why we’re here.”
