More than 700 runners, walkers, cheering spectators and volunteers crowded the streets and sidewalks of Solomons in a show of pink for CalvertHealth’s 13th Annual Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run on Oct. 15. The record-setting crowd brought in nearly $61,000 to benefit the Sheldon E. Goldberg Center for Breast Care at CalvertHealth.
“This event is so much more than a run/walk,” said CalvertHealth Foundation Trustee and 5K Committee Chair Barry Friedman. “The 5K is a positive, uplifting experience for everyone involved and there is such a strong sense of hope and community. It’s times like this when the light of our community shines the brightest.’’ For some, it was a way to show their support for a great cause, but for others, the event has a much deeper meaning. Many came to support a mom, to remember a friend, to celebrate a survivor or to honor a loved one.
Friedman said proceeds from the race will be used to expand support services available to all patients at the center. Since its inception, the Breast Cancer 5K has raised more than $400,000 to support the critical work of the Sheldon E. Goldberg Center for Breast Care. These funds have helped further the center’s mission to provide women and men in Southern Maryland access to an experienced team of breast health experts and the most sophisticated technology available today. Most recently, CalvertHealth affiliated with the Duke Cancer Network for cancer care. This relationship provides patients in the tri-county region with access to cancer research, treatment advances and clinical trials only available at the best cancer hospitals in the country.
Another major focus of the annual event is awareness. Studies show that one woman in eight will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent for breast cancer that has not spread beyond the breast. The statistics are sobering in Calvert County, which has a higher rate of breast cancer deaths than both the state of Maryland and the U.S. averages.
CalvertHealth Foundation Board Chair Denise Bowman shared her own experience with breast cancer. “We talk about the rates of cancer being higher in our area and I am one of those statistics. I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at age 55. That's a number, in Calvert County, that is above the state and national average. But I truly believe that CalvertHealth and its cancer care program can create survivors among all of us. I don't think of the diagnosis. I don't think of the treatment. I think about being a survivor. I think about being able to continue to live my life.” Bowman encourages all women to get their annual mammograms acknowledging that early detection does in fact save lives.
The top finisher overall was Danny Bennett, 52, with a time of 18:13 and Asbury Solomons took home the prize for having the largest group/team of participants for the fourth year in a row. In addition to thanking Asbury for their support, on behalf of the 5K Committee Friedman also extended a special thank you to all 5K sponsors including Sneade’s Ace Home Center; Asbury Solomons; Barrett & Associates; Bird Barkman Team; Brother’s Johnson; Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc.; A & W Insurance Services, Inc.; State’s Attorney Bob Harvey; Cedar Point Federal Credit Union; Comfort Keepers; Dr. Ramona Crowley Goldberg; Empire Graphics; End Hunger in Calvert County; Flying Frog Fitness and the Prince Frederick Shopping Center; Garner Exteriors; Spalding Consulting; American Radiology; Al & Seda Richards; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant; Mike Jordan, Century 21 New Millennium; Marianne Harms, in Honor of Denise Bowman; Millennial Marketing Agency; Synectic Solutions, Inc.; Passport Title – Law Offices of Jacki Meiser, PC; Personalized Therapy, LLC; Ambry Genetics and State Farm Insurance, Philip Riehl Agency.
Patricia Brooks was the first to arrive to the CalvertHealth 5K and was sure to bring plenty of spirit with her all-pink outfit in honor of Breast Cancer.
First place overall winner, Danny Bennett, finished with a time of 18:13!
Foundation Board Chair Denise Bowman gets her face painted by volunteer Kaitlyn Russell.