In support of the pink
<p>Ayden Swenson, 9, and his little sister Lily, 5, both of Post Falls, high-five and cheer for racers crossing the finish line of the Susan G. Komen Coeur d'Alene Race for the Cure on the North Idaho College campus Sunday morning.</p>
<p>Rachel McDevitt of Coeur d'Alene looks up at her daughter Greta, 2, as they walk the dike road during the Race for the Cure.</p>
<p>More than 1,400 people gathered on College Drive on the NIC campus to show their support during Sunday's Race for the Cure.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Rachel and Jason McDevitt held their children high on their shoulders Sunday morning as they trekked along Rosenberry Drive.
Little 2-and-a-half-year-old Greta wore a pink stocking cap and looked delighted as she bobbed up and down alongside her 4-year-old brother Cal. Their vantage point allowed them to look out on all the other people wearing pink and participating in the 14th annual Susan G. Komen Coeur d'Alene Race for the Cure.
"My sister Payge is a survivor," Rachel said. "It means a lot for me to be out here and just show how proud we are of her for all that she did to get through all her treatment and everything."
The McDevitts, of Coeur d'Alene, joined more than 1,400 others who participated in the yearly event. The race included a 5K run/walk and one-mile walk that began at 10 a.m. in front of the Student Union Building on the North Idaho College campus. A rain cloud burst over the crowd just as the race began, but it didn't stop the parade of pink from moving forward and honoring breast cancer survivors and the memory of those lost to the disease.
Couples, families, young, old, males and females alike all donned pink to show their support. Dan Hanna of Coeur d'Alene sported a shirt that read, "I wear pink for my wife." He held his wife Joyce's hand as they crossed the finish line. Joyce battled breast cancer from February to July of this year. She said if it wasn't for a mammogram at her doctor's suggestion, the cancer may have been detected too late.
"I was one of the real lucky ones," she said. "Early mammograms saved my life."
Shannon Horn of Post Falls waited for his wife Laura just beyond the finish line. He stood with their kids Camren and Kelsey, who also participated in the run. The family enters every year, in memory of Laura's mom.
"She lost her mom to cancer, so that's why we're out here," he said.
Shannon said the event brings great support for the community and the cancer cause.
"That's why we get out here and do it," Shannon said. "Everybody together, we can help. You save one life, it's worth it."
"It feels great," Camren added.
The enthusiasm and positive energy were almost tangible as people hugged and cheered for one another. The race was followed by a celebration in Cheamkwet Park, where a survivor's brunch and awards ceremony was held.
Race manager Molly Nota with the Susan G. Komen Idaho Affiliate in Boise said the event pulled in $16,580 in individual donations by the end of the day.
"I think it's awesome to celebrate survivors and people who are currently in treatment," she said. "A lot of these people that come out maybe have lost somebody to breast cancer, or know somebody who's fighting breast cancer. So I just think it's incredibly powerful. It's a fun day. It's a celebratory event."
Donations for the Coeur d'Alene Race for the Cure will be accepted until Oct. 21. Organizers said 75 percent of the net proceeds will stay in Kootenai, Boundary, Bonner, Shoshone and Benewah counties to provide funding for screening mammograms, patient assistance and education to local men and women.
Website: www.komenidaho.org