The San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk is organized by The Avon Foundation. The walk is The Avon Foundation’s largest annual fundraising event. Since 2003 the walk has raised more than $265 million around the United States. Women and men alike are invited to participate in the San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk.
History of the San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk
San Francisco is one of the first cities in which the national Avon Breast Cancer Walks began. The 2006 San Francisco walk had 2,300 people participants. More than $5.4 million was raised during the walk. In 2007 more than 2,700 people participated in the walk, which raised $5.6 million.
Significance
Avon reports on its San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk website that “Approximately 178,480 women and 2,030 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.” It is also important to note that more than 2 million people in the United States alone have survived breast cancer after being treated for the disease.
Although men comprise less than 1 percent of all reported breast cancer cases, men, too, have been directly challenged with the disease. When one takes into consideration the impact on family members of loved ones who have the disease, the impact of the San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk and the focus on healing becomes increasingly clear.
Registration for San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk
Registration for the San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk starts early. Prior walkers can use their former logins and passwords to register for the current year’s walk. Those new to the walk will need to register for a login and password. Both former and new registrants can sign up for the walk online at the Avon Foundation.
You can register as an individual or as a team. There is also an option to download and mail the registration form. If you desire to help beyond taking a walk, you may check the Avon Foundation website for information on volunteering or making a donation to the event.
Prior to the actual event, registrants may participate in introductory meetings. To view a schedule of introductory meetings, visit the event website. The meetings give registrants a chance to get to know each other and learn more about what to expect at the walk.
The Walk
The San Francisco 2-day event gives walkers a choice of walking a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles). The walk is generally held in mid-July. The walk spans across the Golden Gate Bridge down the Sausalito waterfront. Participants walk or jog up and down San Francisco’s rolling hills over the course of the event.
The course also goes through downtown San Francisco and beautiful Marin. Specific route information is provided just before the actual event.
Benefits
Last year through the San Francisco Breast Cancer Walk, the Avon Foundation donated grants to the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, California Breast Cancer Research Program, Charlotte Maxwell Complimentary Clinic, Project Open Hand, and Zero Breast Cancer. The total of these grants exceeded $4 million.