To celebrate October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Piedmont Augusta Foundation hosted a Miracle Mile Walk on Saturday, Oct. 21, to raise money in the fight against cancer.
Supporting Piedmont Augusta’s Randy W. Cooper Center for Breast Health Services and mobile mammography unit, which provides lifesaving screening to women in underserved communities across the CSRA, hundreds of survivors and families participated in the three-mile event to bring more awareness to breast cancer.
Trekking a few miles in downtown Augusta, starting from the Augusta Common at 836 Reynolds St., over 100% of Piedmont Augusta’s $400,000 goal was met – totaling for a final count of about $450,000 – which will all be put towards helping other patients get much needed care.
“These are for women who otherwise wouldn’t have these screenings. So all the funds raised today stays local to help women in our community who are uninsured,” said Amanda Richardson, gift officer from Piedmont Augusta’s Foundation. “It helps Piedmont’s mobile mammography unit, which is the only one in the region and serves about 20 to 30 counties in the CSRA with a 100-mile radius … we’ve had over 80,000 screenings since its inception in 2001.”
According to Richardson, community engagement in the fight against cancer is important because many people are impacted by breast cancer, since one in eight women are expected to be diagnosed within their lifetime.
“I think, by participating in the Miracle Mile Walk, it shows how the community can really come together to support a cause and make an impact,” she said. “I think it’s important to be a part of something and to really see your dollars are at work in the community.”
To longtime local participant and veteran, Stepanie Binion, the Miracle Mile Walk encourages Black people to fight healthcare stigma and to prioritize one’s wellness in light of these incurable health issues.
“I think it helps because a lot of the time, especially in Black communities, going to the doctor is still considered a ‘no-no.’ But you have to go, because if you don’t know what’s going on ho you supposed to fix it?” said Binion.
By seeing other fellow patients and survivors participating in the Miracle Mile Walk, Binion said she believed each attendee retained a stronger sense of community and understanding.
“It’s important to see those survivors doing all these things,” she said.
From her own battles, fellow attendee Marcia Kulikowski, a three-time breast cancer survivor, said she was forced to undergo spiritual and relational growth, because only those who truly care will stick around during hard times.
As a result of such hard physical transitions, Kulikowski said she believes the annual walk gives everyone an important outlet for expressing their monetary and moral support in the fight against cancer, because everyone suffers from the disease.
“I think it should be a worldwide fight, because a lot of people are affected by this – men and women,” she said. “It’s a fight that continues on and on … I think a lot of times men forget they can get breast cancer too, because it’s not gender biased. Cancer does not care.”
Breast cancer survivor and established endowment sponsor for men diagnosed with any type of cancer, Cecil Herrin, said he fell victim to the false widespread belief that only women suffer from breast cancer.
“My women friends would say to me, ‘yeah you have to deal with heart attacks but at least you don’t have to worry about breast cancer,’ and I believed them until I was diagnosed with it,” he said.
Changing his negative experience into a positive outcome, Herrin said his health issues fueled his mission for fundraising on the behalf of hundreds of men also diagnosed with cancer. His efforts have resulted in a partnership with the Georgia Cancer Center to create the Georgia Health Sciences Foundation’s Cecil Herrin Endowment.
“I’ve helped over 800 men in the CSRA with my endowment, and I’ve never received one penny with the money I’ve raised,” he said. “I do everything I can to help people in the community … the moment I woke up, I just knew God had a purpose for me and I knew I could help others. Men need love and support just like women.”
Although he is largely known for being a male health advocate, Herrin said he also spent many years as a fundraiser for the Miracle Mile Walk, because he views women as the world’s real heroes.
“I don’t do it by myself. Women are my heroes – they always have been,” he said. “They have always supported me, and for me to raise what I do is because there’s a strong woman behind me.”
With hundreds flocking downtown’s streets sporting pink tutus, wigs, shirts and signs, participants of all ages smiled and waved as they walked to raise awareness and funding to help other survivors across the CSRA.
To donate to Piedmont Augusta’s Foundation to donate or read more, please visit: https://give.piedmont.org/site/TR/MiracleMileWalk/PAF?fr_id=1150&pg=entry
