The 25th Annual Race for the Cure takes place Saturday morning in downtown Little Rock. People will participate in a 5k run to raise money for breast cancer research and treatment.
Amy Treadway, development director of Susan G. Komen’s Arkansas affiliate, says most of the money taken in will benefit people in the state.
"75 percent of the money raised at the event will stay in the state of Arkansas for mammograms, treatment, education, financial assistance, childcare, prescription health needs," she said. "The remaining 25 percent is pooled with all of the other affiliates in the nation for research to find better treatments and ultimately a cure."
The money goes to hospitals, clinics, and community organizations who put in a request for it. Treadway says requests need to be backed up by research and how the funds would be used. The next step is a blind grant review which compares the requests for money with a needs assessment conducted by the Arkansas Susan G. Komen affiliate every three years to determine where the funds in the state are most needed.
"We do grant to hospitals, but we also grant to smaller clinics, to smaller organizations that would provide transportation for breast cancer patients," explained Treadway, "or would provide funds for things that might fall through the cracks like financial assistance with paying bills... or childcare."
A crowd of about 30,000 people is expected, with 12,000 to 15,000 participating in the race. Treadway said that while crowd numbers have remained steady, the number of people registered has declined, "which is a conundrum and it's a disappointment because the need for the funding is so dire," she said. "Arkansas is the third worst state in the United States for late-stage diagnosis and mortality of breast cancer."
The Race for the Cure will accept registrations up to race day morning.