Lacing up their tennis shoes and stretching their muscles in anticipation, thousands of mothers, daughters, friends and family members approached the starting line, preparing to “Race for the Cure.”In teams and as individuals, more than 9,000 Baton Rouge residents participated in the one-mile fun run and the five kilometer Susan G. Komen race for the cure in an effort to promote breast cancer awareness and education.”This is the biggest race we’ve had in the thirteen years since we’ve had it,” said Alicia Chatman, race chair of the Susan G. Komen Baton Rouge affiliate.Seventy-five percent of the proceeds from the race will go toward the Komen foundation in Baton Rouge for education and funding of different programs such as screening and treatment. The other 25 percent will go toward national research, said Melissa Aucoin, Komen Race for the Cure Series manager.In addition to registration fees, which varied from from $5 for the sleep in for the cure, to $27 for a timed runner, and sponsors, there was an increase in donations from last year Chatman said.”We’ve increased from $31,000 last year to $53,000 as of now,” she said. “But donations will be accepted all week.”The event featured educational booths such as “I am the Cure”— the health program component of the race for the cure. This is the second year the Baton Rouge affiliate has had this program. The purpose is to promote breast help information and awareness said Beverly Wood, Chair of I am the cure in Baton Rouge. “Participants come to the booth and spin the wheel,” Wood said. “They answer educational questions about breast cancer awareness.”Participants received a key chain and were put into a drawing to win a round trip air transportation ticket on American Airlines or American Eagle to any destination in the United States. Two tickets were awarded in total.The key chain featured four rings increasing in size that depict the size of breast lumps from yearly mammograms, the first mammogram, regular breast self-exams and accidentally found lumps. The largest lumps were those found accidentally.I am the Cure also had rovers to spread their message about awareness.”This was a two-part process,” Wood said. “The rovers roamed the race sight and the parade grounds calling out our four chants. They also asked participants questions about awareness for a key chain.”Other booths included new balance — a 20-year sponsor of the Komen foundation — which offered a drawing to win a pair of shoes with the traditional pink ribbon in the design, and the Komen marketplace where fleurs for the cure designed by Stacey Uffman Blanchard.”I decided to do this in honor of my mother-in-law who had breast cancer,” Blanchard said. “The proceeds go to a Komen foundation [affiliate], depending on where they are sold.”Numerous University student organizations including the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-med honor society, volunteered in addition to numerous individual volunteers.The Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity, the first national sponsor of the Race for the Cure’s National Series Breast Cancer Survivor Recognition program, sponsored their philanthropy — the survivor’s tent, serving a variety of breakfast refreshments.We want to honor the survivors,” said Meredith Eicher, co-chairman of the survivor tent. “We want them to network and meet other survivors because there is commonality among survivors.The organization also provided “in memory of” and “in celebration of” t-shirts for survivors.Members of the Eta Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha served not only as volunteers, but as race participants.”We are remembering one of our charter members who recently died of breast cancer,” said Chastity Johnson, president of the Eta Kappa chapter. “We are here to do what we can to help cure [breast cancer].””Most of the participants are survivors or co-survivors — relatives of the survivors,” Chatman said. Several participants ran as a group. Team Yo, a four-year group, started out as a group of six and has grown to more than 31 members.”It’s a family affair now,” said Pat Yoches, a 12-year cancer survivor.Other teams such as Team Save the Jugs, have a larger number of team members. With 118 members, they ran in memory of Tracy Sharp, wife and friend to many, said Vicki Dyfrene, a team participant.The Komen Race for the Cure has 125 affiliates nationwide and 121 races. There are also close to 80,000 volunteers across the nation Aucoin said. ——Contact Alice Womble at [email protected].