SAN DIEGO — Thousands of participants laced up their shoes and donned pink attire for the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk Sunday morning in Balboa Park. The annual event, proudly supported by CBS 8, aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
The parade of pink made its way down the Prado, with survivors, supporters, and families coming together to celebrate life, hope, and strength. Among the participants were first-time walkers and long-time survivors, each with their own inspiring story.
"As of August 15, I'm cancer free!" said Maggie.
She was surrounded by her family to celebrate her journey and her birthday," I'm very blessed to be here with my family."
For survivors like "Big K," the walk provided an opportunity to reflect on their journey and inspire others. "I'm fortunate to have my survivorship of 10 years!" said Karen.
The event also served as a platform for raising awareness about early detection. One participant, a nurse whose mother passed away from breast cancer at age 39, advocated for earlier mammograms.
"I'm a big advocate, big preacher, and I think we should move the age up before 40."
Leia Brune, Executive Director for Susan G. Komen San Diego, emphasized the year-round nature of their mission.
"Breast cancer doesn't choose just to show up in October, so that is something that we work here around," Brune said. "We really continue to grow awareness, let people know, educate, and provide resources to those that are fighting this disease."
The Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk set an ambitious fundraising goal of $725,000 this year. One of the top fundraising teams, "Pink Da Point," contributed significantly to this effort.
Merilee Neal, another representative, expressed gratitude for the community's support.
"Thank God for Komen," Neal said. "We have the services and support that we are here to be able to provide the community with the support it needs."
CBS 8 streamed the event live on CBS8+, with Chief Meteorologist Karlene Chavis serving as the emcee.
As the sea of pink filled Balboa Park, it was clear that the bright color represents more than just a color—it's a movement to inspire people to fight back against breast cancer.
"This is how we make a difference," Neal said. "This is how we will end breast cancer."
If you weren’t able to be there in person, you can see all the pink from this morning and hear inspiring stories from people and their experiences with breast cancer an and how it has affected their lives by watching an hour-long replay of the event on our streaming channel, CBS8+. It's free to download on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.