Walk for a cause: Renaissance Charter’s fifth annual 7K breast cancer walk

BY SOFIA MENDEZ

This past Saturday, October 12, Renaissance Charter School at Cooper City (RCSCC) held its fifth annual 7K ‘MORE THAN PINK’ Walk. The purpose of this walk is to unite the community to honor breast cancer survivors. Students, staff and their families were encouraged to participate in this event as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“All participants were having an amazing time today. We had a great turnout [and] a lot of people remembering how important it is to create this awareness for the breast cancer society,” RCSCC staff member Gretchen Pereyra said. “We had a lot of involvement of parents and families and we were able to enjoy all the activities we had planned.”

All proceeds and donations raised go to the breast cancer foundation Susan G. Komen. As the world’s largest network of breast cancer survivors and activists, their mission is to work together to save lives, empower people and find new and advanced solutions to cure breast cancer. With this foundation being the most funded around the nation, many schools are able to create these walks for their community.

Cancer occurs when cells divide and grow uncontrollably. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States and worldwide. In 2019, there have been about 268,600 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in women in the U.S. alone, and there’s been an estimate that about 41,760 cases are fatal.

“Having different activities really made the event [successful] as there was something for everyone to enjoy.”

“As the organizer, I was beyond proud and happy that we raised more awareness and support for the Susan G. Komen foundation,” event coordinator Ana Desiree said. “We really did want everyone to be well-informed about the breast cancer walk in a way that had activities that help us stay fit and are also amusing for all ages.”

There are some factors that may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. According to Mayo Clinic, limiting alcohol is crucial as the more alcohol people consume, the higher the risk there is for breast cancer. Other fundamental factors to consider are to control one’s weight and always be physically active.

Not only did the event have a walk, but it also featured a variety of activities that weren’t seen in past years such as kickboxing, Zumba, bounce houses, food trucks, face painting and raffles. As a healthy lifestyle decreases one’s risk of developing breast cancer, RCSCC wanted to include activities that showed people how they can have fun while exercising.

“One of my favorite parts of the event had to be the DJ, he played really good songs that [put] everyone on their feet and I could really see smiles from the people around me,” middle school participant Lia Pereyra said. “Having different activities really made the event [successful] as there was something for everyone to enjoy.”

Photo by Sofia Mendez