The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an event some students and staff feel strongly about.
Lynn Covey is not only the team leader for Cardinals Against Cancer, but a teammate to all the people walking or running. Most of the teams were wearing bright green shirts except for two survivors of breast cancer, Nancy Edwards and Dr. Priscilla Bell, who wore bright pink shirts.
“Many of us at NIC have been touched in some way by breast cancer and this is a very small way that we can show our support for those we care about as well as our community,” Covey said.
Covey lost a great deal to breast cancer. Not only has she lost her youngest stepsister and grandmother; her aunt is living with the disease and some of her friends and co-workers who are survivors of breast cancer.
“So for me, Race for the Cure is about that one person in our community who is uninsured and cannot receive a mammogram or help with medical bills or resources,” Covey said.
“Raising awareness and funds for breast cancer is near and dear to my heart in my family,” she said. “Among my friends and within the NIC community, we have been touched by the loss of a loved one and we have had the joy of celebrating the survival of loved ones,” Covey said.
The program raised just under $1,400 with 40 people participating in the event.
“Most importantly though, the walk itself brings awareness to breast cancer – it gets people talking and hopefully moves us to action whether it is to schedule an exam, to become better informed, or to commit to taking better care of ourselves,” Covey said.
The Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure series is one of the largest 5K walks around the world. It was established to raise awareness as well as funds for breast cancer and to aid women in getting the help they would not normally be able to get otherwise. Of the proceeds that are raised in the Race For the Cure 75 percent stay in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties. The remaining 25 percent of the funds go toward national research of breast cancer and its possible cures.
“The services funded in North Idaho include free mammograms, medical treatment for qualified breast cancer patients who cannot afford care, support services including support groups, assistance with finding financial resources, prescription refills, transportation to medical appointments and education about the warning signs of breast cancer, methods of early detection and the latest treatment options,” Covey said. “In the end the race is about others and if we helped just one person or brought awareness to just one person, then we did our job.”
