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Hundreds of walkers will take to the streets of Cobb County this weekend for the Georgia Two-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, an annual fundraiser that supports access to care for patients across the state.
Kristen Petillo, executive director of the Georgia Alliance for Breast Cancer, said this year’s event is based at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel and Cobb Galleria Gardens, a new location that has already brought in new community partners. Renaissance Bank is presenting sponsor, with support also from SCANA-XG, 680 the Fan and the Atlanta Braves Foundation.
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“We’ll cover 30 miles of walking over Saturday and Sunday with 700 folks,” Petillo said. “The money is raised here largely in Georgia by Georgians and beyond. And then the funds go right back into the state of Georgia to serve Georgians.”
She explained that proceeds are distributed through grants to nonprofits providing direct services, such as rides to treatment, screenings, wigs and even help with utility bills. The group’s most recent funding cycle helped screen more than 4,300 people and led to 90 new diagnoses.
Breast cancer’s impact, Petillo added, goes far beyond physical health. “Oftentimes when someone receives a diagnosis, it’s isolating,” she said. “The idea is to approach it as a we. A family unit, if you have that family makeup, to approach it as we when you receive the diagnosis and make a treatment plan.”
About one in eight people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and men are not immune. Petillo emphasized the importance of mammograms and early detection. “The most important thing is that you are getting in at the recommended age for your mammograms and you’re staying on your annual mammogram to watch those markers,” she said.
The walk is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-5.
More information, including registration and volunteer opportunities, can be found at gaabc.org.
