Sparkling ocean water, warm sunshine, electrifying music and the color of pink showering tens of thousands of people.  Those are just some of the images on race day during the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in West Palm Beach, Fla.
        The Race for the Cure is a m****ive event that takes place every year in several locations across the United States.  The West Palm Beach race is the largest Race for the Cure in Florida. 
        The race includes several activities, from a 5 kilometer run and walk to a costume contest, in which thousands of people participate to benefit breast cancer research and education.
        Nancy G. Brinker founded the organization in 1982 after her sister, Susan G. Komen, died of breast cancer.  Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest gr****roots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and stimulate scientific research to find the cures.
        Anita Holmes, executive director of the South Florida affiliate, said that 21,000 people registered last year, and 25,000 showed up on race day.  The event was able to raise $1.6 million.  She said they are hoping to have 22,000 registered participants for the upcoming race in January of 2009.
        Florida Atlantic University is home to a lot of these participants.  The university runs campaigns to get students and faculty involved in the race, whether it’s actually walking or running in the race, volunteering, or just raising money for the cause. 
Geoffrey Johnson, coordinator of information analysis at FAU, said one of the things students do to raise money is put on a competition called “penny wars,” which is a contest to see who can raise the most money using just change. 
        With such an incredible number of people participating in the race, there is much work to be done.  Holmes said she has found a lot of enthusiastic volunteers to help within the Palm Beach community to construct and run the race. 
        Aside from students participating in the run and walk, they play a large part in setting up the event, Holmes said.  “We have 300 to 400 volunteers, and most of them are students.”
        The students are mainly from surrounding universities and help out in several ways, Holmes said. Students work to set up banners and booths, check in racers and man water stations. 
        Nursing students from Palm Beach Atlantic University go so far as to run the first-aid tent as volunteers.  Patricia Amado, ****istant professor of nursing at PBA, said the students really enjoy getting involved. “It’s mostly juniors and seniors, and all of them love running the first-aid tent and doing blood-screening activities,” Amado said.
        The more social and interactive duties that students undertake include acting as “cure leaders,” which are like cheerleaders for the race who cheer on the participants as they head to the finish line, Holmes said.  “Also, students volunteer to sign up people for health-based petitions that involve breast cancer and that will be sent to legislators.”
        A new theme the Susan G. Komen organization is focusing on this year is recycling and conserving resources, Holmes said.  “There’s a big push to green.” 
        There will be a projected number of 30,000 water bottles used on race day, and the race staff plans to recycle all of them, Holmes said.  Additionally, the organization is encouraging participants to sign-up online instead of by mail as an effort to save paper.
With nearly $1 billion invested by the Komen organization to date, the Race for the Cure is running stronger than ever, and it is clear that with all of the student involvement that occurs, the difficulty of successfully managing an event of this scale becomes much easier. 
        “It’s a daunting task to set up for the race,” Holmes said, “but it’s such an inspirational and exciting event.”

By Amanda Adams