Splashes of pink and a spirit of survival brightened an otherwise gray Sunday morning as hundreds gathered at city hall to participate in the city's Run for the Cure.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure is the group's largest single-day national event and the local one-kilometre and five-kilometre run/walk brought men, women and children of all ages out to join the fight against the most common form of cancer diagnosed in Canadian women.
Before a parade of Prince George breast cancer survivors - wearing special pink t-shirts - led the event participants on their route, prominent cancer prevention advocate DebiLyn Smith addressed the crowd.
A resident of Houston, Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011.
She said she came out of the experience mad enough to write a book, called Running From Cancer, which tells her story, but also reinforces the methods by which someone can help reduce their risk.
"There's lots of things we can do, like drinking more water and eating less red meat. We know the drill: quit smoking, maintain a healthy body weight. Prevention is the key to a lot of this," said Smith. " But the biggest thing, it is like a cancer lottery - the more tickets you give yourself the better chance you're going to win this lottery. And trust me, between the surgeries, the chemotherapy and the radiation, this is one road you don't want to go down. But cancer is doable."
According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, one in nine Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. But fewer women are dying from it than in the past.
"A future without breast cancer is in our reach as each year we reach milestones across a whole range of prevention, early detection, research and treatment," said foundation board member Ledford Lilley. "But we cannot stop now. Here in Prince George you are supporting Dr. Rob Olson, whose research project will help more women in Haida Gwaii access mammography screening."
British Columbia has the highest survival rate for breast cancer in the country, said Lilley, at 90.1 per cent. And that was achieved with only 52 per cent participation in the provincial government's free mammography program for eligible women over the age of 40.
"If we could get only 70 per cent participation, it is estimated that mortality could be reduced by 30 per cent," said Lilley. "So we see there is much to do and we can't stop now."
