Numbers down, mood is up at Race for Cure - Indianapolis Star

The weather was chilly and controversy about funding for breast cancer screenings still relatively fresh, but more than 600 people signed up Saturday for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, helping the annual event raise about $1.7 million.

That's about $700,000 fewer race-day dollars and 10,000 fewer participants than last year.

There were 27,126 participants in the 21st annual race Saturday, previously billed as the largest single fundraiser in Indiana and one of the largest Komen races in the world.

"That's better than we expected," said Dana Curish, Komen's executive director. "It was a good day, but it was cold."

She was pleasantly surprised by the more than 600 participants who signed up Saturday morning. She said a lot of people wait on the weather forecast. At the start of the race, the temperature was in the low 40s.

Besides cold weather, the race was already tainted when earlier this year, the national Komen organization for breast-cancer research announced it would withhold funds from Planned Parenthood. After a negative reaction, Komen reversed that decision and a key leader resigned.

Curish said it would be grand to make up the $700,000 difference between now and the event's fundraising deadline. Participants have until May 2 to turn in their pledge money. Her more realistic goal is $200,000.

The 2011 Race for the Cure raised a total of $2.6 million at the end of the fundraising period, including registration, sponsorships and fundraising, Curish said.

Despite the numbers, participants loved the new route and new venue, moved from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis to Military Park, said Curish, 69, Carmel, a two-time breast-cancer survivor. "Everybody there was having so much fun," she said.

In 2012, the Central Indiana affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is granting $1.6 million to 15 local breast health programs and contributing more than $500,000 to research for the causes, improved treatments and cures for breast cancer, according to www.komenindy.org

Call Star reporter Betsy Reason at (317) 444-6049.