Thousands Race for the Cure

Sunday, May 8, 2011 | Updated 5:22 PM EDT

By Tim Persinko and Marisa Brahney

Thousands donned pink to support breast cancer awareness this Mothers' Day.

Forty-thousand registered to walk and run down the Ben Franklin Parkway as part of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The event featured a parade of cancer survivors, a 5k walk and run for those showing support, and speeches by elected officials.

About 6,000 breast cancer survivors made their way down the steps of the Art Museum to celebrate their journey.

"You can't do that without a lump in your throat, seeing all these other people - grandmothers and mothers with babies and women of all ages and men who have survived breast cancer, " Melissa Fender said.

The race has been a Mothers' Day tradition for the past 21 years, and annualy nets approximately $4 million for cancer research and education. Entire families made the trek to share their stories and show that breast cancer effects everyone.

"It does not just affect the person who gets, it affects their whole network of people that they know," Mary Holleger said. "For us, our mom was sick for two years before she passed away. We all helped take care of her."

For newly diagnosed patients the support was overwhelming.

"This is my first year, I was diagnosed in January," Tammy Foss said. "To have this...sometimes you go through your life and you don't know what you mean to people, I now know that I am going to be OK, that I am going to survive this and that I am going to live a long time."

Former governor Ed Rendell was given a special recognition by the walk's organizers, the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate Brotherhood of the Promise Award. Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter also spoke to help kick off the event.

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