In late January when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the United States, many special events were forced to either adapt or be swallowed up. Businesses were shut down, events were cancelled, and health guidelines were set in place in order to keep the community as safe as possible. Susan G. Komen’s “More Than Pink Walk” has grown in times of adversity and has created a new way to raise awareness for breast cancer.
The annual Susan G. Komen walk is a world renowned fundraising event to honor breast cancer survivors and those who lost their lives to breast cancer. This fundraiser financially assists in research and patient support efforts and provides a committed fight to make a difference in breast cancer.
Originally, partakers were going to walk side-by-side, but due to COVID-19 the “More Than Pink Walk” had to be shifted to an online platform. The event officially began on October 17, 2020 with an early morning virtual opening ceremony, followed by a Virtual Walk around the city of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.
“We believe we can preserve the sense of community through this new virtual fundraising walk, even though we will be walking where we are,” added Adrienne Johnson, manager for the Washington DC More Than Pink Walk, in the Susan G. Komen National Capital Website.
Although it may be disappointing for some people who attend the event every year, one can not look past the benefits of expanding to online.
“The added benefit of this new virtual experience is that people who previously couldn’t attend in-person due to their health or scheduling conflicts, will now be able to participate and be part of the community of hope,” said Komen.
Due to Facebook’s wide reach and big influence, the link to the virtual events was posted on the walk’s Facebook page. No fee was given to those who registered for the virtual event, or for those that chose to get to the online fundraising tools. People who bought their tickets before everything closed down won’t have to worry, either— their money was donated to participating teams and the fundraising goal.
“We encourage you to walk in your neighborhood, local park, or wherever you’re able to socially distance with your family, friends, and team members,” read a statement on their official Miami/Ft. Lauderdale website.
Leading up to October 17, 2020, throughout the week there were a series of mini events that consisted of “Sign the We Remember Wall”, Virtual Survivors Breakfast Sponsored by “UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center” , and “On Wednesday We Wear Pink” day.
With Komen’s 2.3 billion dollars already fundraised throughout the other years, 2020 is just another opportunity to raise more.
To work together as a community, women support each other as a whole, despite these new challenges that may try to limit them.
“Community is about providing support for everyone, no matter where you are in your breast cancer journey,” continued the official statement on their website.
