Forty thousand people run through Athens and sent their own symbolic message against breast cancer. The 10th Race for the Cure Against Breast Cancer took place on Sunday under the auspices of Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
The event included a 5 km race and a 2 km walk.
The race started in Zappeion near Syntagma square.
Women, men and children, young and old, run or walked to raise awareness about the breast cancer, prevention and early diagnosis.
“Two words are important today: joy and life,” president of the Greek Association of Women with Breast Cancer “Alma Zois” (Leap of Life) Kleopatra Gavriilidou stated. “Today we prove that that we have overcome the difficulties and we are here, fighting and strong until the breast cancer belongs to the past.”
“We pave the way today, we talk about the importance of prevention, we celebrate our lives and we honor those women who are no longer among us,” she added.
The annual race is an initiative of the Greek Association of Women with Breast Cancer “Alma Zois” (Leap of Life) and is held with the support of the Athens Culture, Sport and Youth Organization (OPANDA) with the approval of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, which launched the race about three decades ago in the United States.
3,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Greece every year.
The 10th Race for the Cure is normally held every last Sunday of September, however, this year was postponed for a week later, due to weather conditions.
Across the world, 1.3 million new cases are documented annually, 27.3% of them in Europe.
