Parade of pink

COEUR d’ALENE — Michael Dobler and his wife, Hanna, stood at the start line on the North Idaho College campus and stretched their arms and legs.

Michael wore a string of pink beads and Hanna rocked a pink tutu with a pink shirt that read, “Boobie brigade.”

The Coeur d’Alene couple smiled and didn’t take themselves too seriously Sunday morning before the 15th annual Susan G. Komen Coeur d’Alene Race for the Cure, but the issue at the core of the race, fighting breast cancer, drummed up some serious support.

“We’re running to find a cure, and for my grandma, Mary, who passed,” Hanna said.

“My father’s running also, who had cancer as well,” Michael said. “My father’s a survivor.”

Michael’s mom, Wynda Dobler, the oncology manager at Northwest Specialty Hospital, said she was also running to support her patients.

“We have awesome patients,” she said.

This was the first time the Dobler family participated in the Race for the Cure, which attracted about 1,400 participants and hundreds more to show support for the racers and honor their loved ones who have survived breast cancer or other cancers, are still fighting or have lost their battles.

“It’s an amazing gathering of people,” Michael said. “Just to support everybody. It’s huge. It’s awesome, definitely worth waking up for.”

Race day registration and packet pick-up began at 8 a.m., the same time the sponsor booths opened. Participants could run the Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine 10K or warm up to music with the Red Hot Mamas in Cheamkwet Park and walk or run the 5K or 1-mile course. They started in front of the Edminster Student Union Building, traveled east on the Centennial Trail and made a loop in McEuen Park.

Parents, kids, couples, families, teams, individuals and even some canine companions wore pink to show their support. Numerous people wore fun outfits, with pink accessories ranging from wigs, tiaras and striped tights to heart-shaped sunglasses and butterfly wings.

Amanda Severino of Spokane wore a bright green team shirt as she participated in honor of her uncle.

“I love that there’s just so many people,” she said. “It’s awesome that there’s so many people supporting.”

Race manager Molly Nota of Boise works for the Susan G. Komen Idaho Affiliate. She said the annual event in Coeur d’Alene usually nets about $50,000, 75 percent of which stays in Idaho to be used for community grants, patient assistance, education and other services. About 25 percent, she said, goes to research, and the fundraising deadline is Oct. 27, so people still have time to contribute.

“A lot of people mistake us just for a research foundation, but that 75 percent actually stays right here in our state and helps women and men in our state,” Nota said, adding that the foundation has raised more than $802 million in about 30 years of conducting the race.

“I feel great about it today. I think we had a great turnout,” she said. “I love having the survivors here. It was really fun having the Red Hot Mamas do the warmup, they’re awesome, they brought so much to the race, and that was really fun.”

She said the race is important because of the fundraising aspect and how it impacts the local community and helps those who may not be able to afford expensive cancer treatments.

“Imagine hearing you have cancer and not having insurance, not having support, having to choose between putting food on the table and if you’re going to have treatment or get a mammogram,” she said. “We hope to bridge those gaps. By raising this money, we’re able to allow those people to not have to make that choice.”

Info: www.komenidaho.org