Michele Yarber hugged a family member while dancing as the song "Celebrate" blasted across a parking lot at Pinnacle Hills Mall Saturday.
Tears rolled down the cancer survivor's face past a smile as the time neared for her to walk a mile during the 2015 Komen Ozark 17th annual Race for the Cure.
It has been one year and four months since Yarber entered remission from breast cancer, she said.
"I went through chemo and not knowing if I was going to live or die for months," Yarber said. "Now I am here."
More than 8,000 people were registered to run or walk during the event, said Kari Nikolish, president of the race board. She said another 2,000 people planned to attend as volunteers or supporters. She said about 880 attendees were breast cancer survivors.
More than $650,000 had been raised from the event already, Nikolish said. She said the nonprofit organization has a goal of $900,000 for this year. She said people have until June to donate.
Seventy-five percent of the money stays local to help families, Nikolish said. She said it provides cancer resources to patients and their families. It also helps promote and provide opportunity for early detection of breast cancer, she said.
The other 25 percent of money goes to cancer research, Nikolish said.
"This is a race to find a cure," Nikolish said. "We are losing too many women to the disease. One woman every 13 minutes dies from breast cancer in the United States. We still don't know what causes it."
Nikolish said the race is even more important for staff and volunteers with the local Ozark foundation this year. She said Mary Alfrey, executive director of the local chapter, was too ill to be at the event this year as she is fighting her cancer.
"Our executive director was on the stage last year celebrating," Nikolish said as she held back tears. "This year she is at home fighting for her life."
Family of Alfrey's also was absent from the race as they spent time with her, Nikolish said. She said the return of Alfrey's cancer has been kept quiet in recent months.
"She didn't want people thinking about her," Nikolish said. She said Alfrey wanted the focus to be on the race.
Alfrey did everything she was supposed to, Nikolish said. She found the cancer early and treated it immediately, she said.
"That is the nature of this disease," Nikolish said. "It is a really emotional race for our staff this year because we are making great progress but not enough. We have come a long way but we can't lose steam now."
For Mike Thurow's wife Jan, the battle was lost in 2007 two years after she was diagnosed. He said he has attended the event every year since his wife passed away.
"She had a lot of support and treatment options," Thurow said. "There are a lot of people who don't have those options. That is why this important to me."
Most race attendees wore not only race bibs but also tags that said who they were running or walking for. Many of the survivors celebrated their victory with friends, co-workers and family.
About 10 family members wearing a pink shirt with a flower joined Yarber on Saturday. Each petal of the flower held the name of a woman the family knew who had breast cancer.
Vera Rodden, Yarber's mother, struggled for words as she thought about the celebration of her daughter's life on Saturday.
"It is the greatest feeling ever," Rodden said. "This event really touches our heart."
The national Susan G. Komen Foundation holds Race for the Cure events across the country annually to fund research, advocacy and resources for cancer survivors. The foundation was started 1980 by Nancy G. Brinker following the death of her sister, Susan.
NW News on 04/26/2015