Phila. Race for the Cure draws 45,000

Phyllis Cooperman and her daughter Lisa Kolar jogged arm in arm across the finish line of the Philadelphia Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure yesterday morning with huge smiles on their faces.

"We do it together," said Cooperman, 63, a 17-year breast-cancer survivor running in her 12th race.

All told, 20 members of the family joined 45,000 others running, jogging and walking the 3.1 mile course on a bright, brisk Mother's Day morning to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research and treatment.

"We love celebrating her," said Kolar, 29. "It feels good. Together we are fighting this disease, conquering it."

Later, the family would gather at Cooperman's Elkins Park home for a traditional Mother's Day brunch.

During the last 18 years, the Race for the Cure has become a Philadelphia ritual. In 1991, 1,893 people took part in the first race here. This year's 45,000 participants made the race the largest ever, and at least 75,000 more came out to cheer them on.

The event also raised the most money yet for research, treatment and education. The preliminary totals reached $3.5 million and organizers yesterday hoped the tally would reach $4 million when numbers are finalized later this week.

"It has just grown in leaps and bounds," said Elaine I. Grobman, executive director of the Philadelphia affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and a leader of the effort here for each of its 18 years.

Already this year, the local Komen chapter has distributed $2.6 million to 48 organizations and projects across the tri-state region, ranging from the African Family Health Organization to the Wellness Community of Philadelphia. Overall, it has distributed $12.5 million since 2001.

Nationally, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer projects. It has given nearly $1 billion in grants over the last 25 years. Nancy G. Brinker of Dallas founded the organization in 1982 to fulfill a promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer.

"Our message to everyone who is fighting this disease is simple: we can win this battle," Grobman said.

Progress is being made. Breast cancer deaths in the U.S. have decreased each year since 1990. Still, nearly 40,500 women are expected to die from the disease this year, according to the American Cancer Society. In addition, 182,460 women nationwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.

In Pennsylvania and New Jersey nearly 3,600 women will die of breast cancer this year while 15,720 will be diagnosed with the disease, the cancer society estimates.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, behind lung cancer.

While many of those who ran and walked yesterday were survivors and their supporters, others came out to honor the memories of women who had died.

Peter Martosella lost his wife, Barbara, to breast cancer six years ago.

"The thing that draws me out is the need to find something for this devastating problem," said Martosella, 72, a retired corporate turnaround specialist.

But Martosella wasn't there just to honor Barbara's memory. Two of his daughters are cancer survivors and he worries about his five granddaughters because they are likely to have inherited a gene mutation that places them a significantly higher risk of breast cancer.

"These races raise awareness," he said as he led 15 family members including his new bride of two weeks marching up the Parkway.

Twenty-five year survivor Patricia Stewart of Fern Rock was walking the race for the 17th time along with her daughter and three of her grandchildren.

Stewart, 66, joined more than 6,000 survivors for the "Parade of Pink" down the art museum steps at 7:35 a.m.

"I think it is important to be out to support all the other survivors and their families," Stewart said. "Also, it is a reminder of how blessed I am to have survived."