Photo story: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

There were survivors. There were family and friends of survivors. There were family and friends of those who didn't survive.

All were there in solidarity. 

Thousands showed up Saturday for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. 

For many in attendance, it was also a day of personal resilience as many survivors of breast cancer, along with their family and friends, suffered dire losses from back-to-back hurricanes.

"We lost our home and vehicles, as did several of my family members," breast cancer survivor Anna Robinson says. "As long as we are together, we can overcome anything so we put our losses on the backburner today to celebrate what we do have - each other."

American Cancer Society Senior Development Manager for the Southeast Region Meredith Tucker, who organized the event along with hundreds of volunteers, initially considered rescheduling so people could address immediate recovery efforts.

"We considered rescheduling the event but decided that our community needed this event," Tucker says. "Our community needed a distraction from hurricane recovery and our survivors and thrivers needed to see that our community was still behind them!"

With an estimated 25,000-plus in attendance, the celebration and walk were emotionally charged with families and friends dressed in pink and carrying signs of support.

Founded in New York City in 1913 by 10 doctors and five community members, the American Cancer Society was originally called the American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC).

Cancer was rarely mentioned in public as a cancer diagnosis meant near-certain death.

Determined to raise public awareness about cancer to make progress treating the disease, the society's founders and colleagues spread the word through articles in popular magazines and professional journals

According to the American Cancer Society, its work has contributed to a 33% drop in U.S. overall cancer deaths, which equates to 3.8 million fewer cancer deaths from 1991 to 2023.

Those signs of victory, of those in remission, were everywhere.

Everywhere there were men in pink tutus or with pink mohawks to honor those lost and celebrate those in treatment and those in remission.

Nonstop entertainment fueled the energy.

Fox 13 news anchor Linda Hurtado, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and lost her mother to the disease in 1995, once again emceed the event, rallying the crowd and turning the pre-walk festivities into a big dance party.

Despite the energy generated by Hurtado, the DJ, team mascots, games and vendors, Tucker noticed that the 2024 Making Strides walk was more emotional as many attendees continue to adjust and recover from hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"Absolutely yes, it was more emotional this year as cancer doesn't quit just because some nasty storms rolled through town," Tucker says. "People are still being diagnosed, receiving treatment, and fighting cancer, while also dealing with their own damage and trauma from the storms."

Tucker is quick to point out that although she is the "face" of putting the event together, Making Strides is a volunteer-led, staff-supported event with its event experience committee working throughout the year to organize the event.

It isn’t until the event is over that Tucker processes the impact that Making Strides has on attendees and on herself personally.

 "In the moment of the event, I'm so focused on making sure the event goes smoothly, that looking back at pictures and videos makes me the most emotional," Tucker says. "Seeing the event through survivors and thrivers' eyes makes me realize that the long days and hard work is absolutely worth it to see all the smiles and fun that they had!"

For more information, go to American Cancer Society in Florida