Breast Cancer Awareness 5K gets $2m boost
Published:Monday | August 19, 2019 | 12:19 AMKavarly Arnold/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
The 10th staging of the Kiwanis Club of Providence-Montego Bay Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run/Walk has been given a major boost with a $2-million, two-year sponsorship from Ward’s Power Tools.
Speaking at the media launch last Thursday, project coordinator Audrey Watson said this year’s run, which is scheduled for Sunday, October 27 with the race set to begin at 6 a.m., is expected to exceed all previous stagings.
“We started with a little over 300 participants, and in 2018, we saw over 2,000 participating. We are very pleased to announce that with the maturity came interest from Mr Howard Ward of Ward’s Power Tools, committing sponsorship of $2 million over two years towards the Breast Cancer 5K Run/Walk,” said Watson, who is also a distinguished president of the Kiwanis Club of Providence.
“We continue to support the fighters, admire the survivors, and honour the taken. With the donations from our annual event last year, we were able to contribute just under $1 million to Cornwall Regional Hospital and close to $500,000 to the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) to assist in their services. This year, being our 10th year, we are very excited for what this year may bring as we look forward to getting past that 3,000-participants mark,” she added.
JCS Executive Director Yulit Gordon commended the Kiwanis Club of Providence and its contributors for their hard work and commitment to fighting breast cancer in Jamaica.
“We have been privileged to watch this event grow into one of the most supported signature events of Montego Bay, raising in excess of $2 million to support the Jamaica Cancer Society’s breast cancer prevention programme,” Gordon said. “Let us go out now and drum up all the support from everyone in Montego Bay and the surrounding parishes to register for our 5K Breast Cancer Run/Walk in October and make 2019 our best year yet.”