Race for the cure
Every year, breast cancer claims the lives of more than two million people worldwide. On April 16, 161 students, faculty and staff members from the University of Indianapolis will do their part to help stifle this tragic statistic.
These 161 individuals will participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure three-mile walk, an annual event combined with a fund-raiser intended to advocate for cancer awareness and prevention.
This is the second year a UIndy team has participated in the Race for the Cure. The team was organized by university employees Roberta Hurst, Linda Corn, Laura Irmer and Margie May.
According to Hurst, the captain of UIndy’s Komen team, the goal of this year’s group was to raise $1,000 for cancer research.
To achieve this, participants asked for donations. Also, “jeans days” were held. On these days, $2 donations to Komen earn university employees the right to wear jeans to work. The next “jeans day” will be held on April 15.
As of March 28, the UIndy team had raised $4,731.89, shattering the $1,000 goal. “Jeans days” alone had earned a total of $409. One student, who lost her mother to breast cancer, raised more than $1,000 individually.
“I’m truly amazed by the donations we’ve received this year,” Hurst said. “It’s outstanding.”
The Office of the Registrar’s front desk was decorated to promote UIndy’s first official Komen team last year. Photo contributed by Roberta Hurst.
This is the 20th annual Race for the Cure, and in honor of this 20th anniversary, the UIndy team will wear matching t-shirts, each sporting a large number 20 on the back.
Forming the “20” are the names of 87 people UIndy is honoring, all of whom lost their battle against breast cancer.
“This disease affects so many people, many of whom are so young,” Hurst said. “The battles they are fighting and how difficult those battles can be really inspired me to get involved with Komen.”
According to Hurst, the three-mile walk is not the only way to get involved with the Race for the Cure.
There is a shorter, more family-friendly 1.5-mile walk. Volunteering and donating are also very important to Komen’s work as well.
Junior Candi Witzigreuter will be a part of UIndy’s Komen team for the second time at this year’s event.
“My sisters, my mom and I did the walk last year,” Witzigreuter said. “It was really cool to be a part of the event. It really felt like we contributed, in a small way, to hopefully finding a cure.”
Hurst fondly remembers former UIndy employee Donna Hood, who passed away from breast cancer. Hood’s story was one of Hurst’s inspirations to initiate UIndy’s involvement with Komen.
“Donna would be proud. She never lost faith. She was so strong,” Hurst said. “She, as an advocate for education and her story, has inspired me.”
More information on the Komen Foundation, upcoming events, and ways to get involved, are available at the website komenindy.org.
Students from last year’s Komen team pose for a picture prior to last year’s three mile walk. Last year, 143 people from the UIndy campus community were a part of the UIndy Komen team. Photo contributed by Roberta Hurst.
