Pink Ribbon Run/Walk Eyes New Site For Weekend Event

OCEAN CITY – Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the month of October and the 10th Annual Pink Ribbon 5K Run/Walk and One Mile Fun Run permit request was approved at last week’s Mayor and City Council meeting.

Event organizer Beverly Furst was present at the Mayor and City Council meeting to explain the route of this year’s event.

“The new location is going to be at the 123rd Street Hooters,” she explained. “This route is going to be great. It takes you through Montego Bay and that takes you right back to the bay, so it will be really pretty to walk back there, and then the route goes back to Hooters. … Originally we wanted to incorporate some of the city and use Northside Park but, they have some things going on and they were concerned with the two activities going on at the same time.”

The time of the event has also changed this year.

“It starts at 10 a.m., a little later then previous years. I hope that some people that sleep in will be able to make it this year,” said Furst.

The walk/run is important to Ocean City because it provides a good portion of funds raised for the cause to cure breast cancer.

“In the past nine years, I have raised over $90,000 for the American Cancer Society,” said Furst.

Kathy Mathias, chairwoman of Pink Ribbon Classic at the Beach, took the time to review other associated events that are a success in Ocean City.

“The American Cancer Society is the largest private funder of cancer research in the country,” said Mathias. “Our programs start in August with the Harman’s fishing tournament. This year it raised over $50,000 and all female anglers were in the tournament.”

Although the fishing event took place in August, events kick into high gear in September and October, breast cancer awareness month. A zumbathon, a Latin inspired dance class, took place in September. A guest bartending event took place at Jive and Dead Freddie’s. There was a card game, mah-jongg tournament, golf tournament, and “Jammin’ for a Cure” was held at Seacrets last week.

Some upcoming events are another mah-jong tournament on Oct. 21, a golf tournament Oct. 22, “Pamper Yourself for Charity” raffle that runs the entire month of October and “Crop for a Cure”, which is an over night scrap-booking event on Nov. 4.

“This is very important for many of us here and to me especially,” said Mathias, a breast cancer survivor. “All this money goes into research and it does stay in the community to help with patient services in the local community.”

According to Charity Vault, “Some of the money will be earmarked for national breast cancer research, the remainder will stay on the Eastern Shore, where it will be used for education projects, patient programs and services. Some of those include the Look Good Feel Better program, which teaches patients how to cope with the cosmetic side-effects of treatment; Reach to Recovery, a one-on-one support visitation program by trained breast cancer survivors for new patients; and Road to Recovery, which offers patients transportation to and from medical facilities for cancer treatments.”

The walk/run will take place this Saturday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. starting at the uptown Hooters location.

“I’m really happy about it, I think it is going to be a great event,” said Furst.