TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Rudy Garcia Park was filled with pink shirts, flowers, and hopeful smiles Sunday morning as hundreds gathered for the annual Walk for the Fight Against Breast Cancer.
The event, hosted by the Southern Arizona Alliance for Bilingual Education (SAABE), drew more than 700 participants this year, marking its sixth year of raising awareness and funds during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Before the walk began, more than 90 participants joined in a morning Zumba and yoga session to get energized for the day. Dozens of breast cancer survivors took the stage to share their stories, with many celebrating years of being cancer-free.
A special flower garden display honored those who lost their lives to the disease, offering a quiet space for reflection amid the celebration of strength and survival.
All proceeds from the event go toward providing free mammograms to underserved and underinsured community members, something SAABE Executive Director Alma Gallardo says remains a critical need.
“You don’t have any idea of how many people don’t have insurance and they don’t have any funds to go to the doctor,” Gallardo said. “To be honest, we’re blessed, but a lot of people don’t have anything. And with this situation that is going on nationwide, a lot of people are losing their insurance.”
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in the United States, aside from skin cancers. An estimated 310,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and about 42,000 women are expected to die from the disease.
While survival rates have improved thanks to early detection and treatment, one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Access to regular screenings such as mammograms remains one of the most effective ways to detect the disease early, a key reason SAABE’s fundraiser focuses on providing free mammograms to those who can’t afford them.
The Walk for the Fight Against Breast Cancer takes place every year on the third Sunday of October.
More information about next year’s event and ways to support SAABE’s mammogram fund can be found at SAABE’S website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
