‘We have to break the back of this disease’

Sandra Samuels, president of Jamaica Reach to Recovery (JR2R), organisers of the annual Pink Run, says the organisation is aiming to raise $30 million from this year’s staging of the event as it seeks to strengthen the fight against breast cancer in Jamaica.

The Pink Run will take place on October 25 at Emancipation Park in New Kingston, beginning at 6:30 a.m. Registration costs $2,500.

The event, which has been staged since 2000, is expected to attract a larger turnout this year. The launch was held yesterday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.

Samuels said JR2R is targeting 20,000 participants and hopes to surpass last year’s $28-million fundraising total despite the challenges posed by a hurricane.

“I am excited and ready, and we are looking forward to 20,000 entrants this year, and we are looking forward to raising $30 million,” Samuels said.

“We made $28 million last year with a hurricane year, so we must get to $30 million this year.”

She stressed the importance of the event in raising awareness about breast cancer, which she said continues to affect families across Jamaica.

“As you know, breast cancer touches almost every family; and if it is not a family member, then it is a friend. And so when the women are affected in the household, the whole family suffers,” she said.

Samuels added that her organisation is particularly concerned about access to mammography services across the island, noting that women in several parishes still do not have access to screening.

“Breast cancer is the number-one cancer killer of our women in Jamaica, and so it is all hands on deck because we have to break the back of this disease,” she said.

“We have to turn up the awareness, as well as we need to get these women access to mammography in every parish and not just some parishes.”

She pointed out that six parishes currently lack mammography services, underscoring the urgent need for increased investment in screening and early detection.

“We really have to do our awareness drive, not only in the month of October, but this has to be an ongoing thing, even though we are limited by funds,” she said.

Samuels also highlighted that the Pink Run is Jamaica’s second-largest running event behind the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run.

She noted that while 15,000 participants registered for last year’s event, actual attendance was significantly affected by the hurricane.

“We registered 15,000 people last year, but because of the hurricane, only 8,000 people turned out,” Samuels said.

robert.bailey@gleanerjm.com