Race for the Cure draws 16,000, raises more than $2.35M for Komen

An estimated 16,000 people turned out for the 24th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Portland last month.

The Sept. 20 event raised more than $2.35 million for Susan G. Komen Oregon and Southwest Washington. About 75 percent of money raised supports programs, such as early detection, treatment access, survivor support and education. The remaining 25 percent will go toward research occurring in Portland.

“The Portland Race for the Cure brought together more than 1,000 breast cancer survivors and their families, friends and loved ones, along with support from sponsors and the community,” said Andrew Asato, chief executive officer of Komen Oregon and Southwest Washington, in a news release. “The passion and energy of our community coming together to celebrate survivors and forever fighters and to raise money to continue to save more lives and make progress toward ending breast cancer forever was amazing.”

Since 1991, Susan G. Komen Oregon and Southwest Washington has funneled $19.8 million to community programs.

The area nonprofit has already begun planning for the 2016 Race for the Cure — the 25th annual event — that will be held Sept. 18 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland.

Grant funding

Two days after the local event, Susan G. Komen announced new grants to 124 researchers in 25 states and 15 countries, including Portland researchers.

The grants total about $36 million and go toward research to improve understanding of metastatic breast cancer, investigate how tumors develop drug resistance, study triple-negative breast cancer, work to identify and understand biological and socioeconomic health inequities, and develop new and novel therapies.

William Redmond of Providence Portland Medical Center received a $450,000 grant to research the biological mechanisms that stop a patient’s immune system from fighting breast cancer. He will develop new immunotherapeutic approaches, such as a vaccine, that will potentially destroy breast cancer cells through the body, according to Komen.