Going the Distance : Thousands Run in Newport for Cancer Research Fund

Sixty-one-year-old Audrey Bierman, who was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago, does not intend to go gently into the good night.

Instead, she woke up early Sunday, donned her white running shoes, pink running shirt and shorts and participated in what has become an annual ritual--joining thousands of other breast cancer survivors at the Race for the Cure event in Newport Beach.

Organized by the Dallas-based Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, this year’s event was the seventh and largest ever, with nearly 30,000 participants, volunteers and observers contributing to the cause.

Though the day had an aura of sadness, memorializing as it does the many breast cancer patients who have succumbed to the disease, participants said they were focused on the hope that one day a cure will be found.

“More and more of us are living through this [disease],” Bierman said. “It’s a beautiful day and I’m here. We are going to keep fighting.”

A sea of pink T-shirts, the color of breast cancer awareness ribbons, crowded onto Newport Center Drive across from Fashion Island early Sunday to show their support for the families affected by the deadly disease.

Each participant has his or her story to tell. Some were hopeful. Others tragic.

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For many families, such as that of Dolores Helms, 68, and her daughter Linda Webb, 51, cancer has been devastating. Both women are breast cancer survivors, but Webb’s sister, Shannon, did not make it.

Shannon was a triathlete who battled the illness for eight years before dying last year at the age of 41, Helms said. In her memory, the mother-daughter duo wore white T-shirts with a large photo of Shannon during her last triathlon, running across the finish line.

“This is where she would want us to be,” Helms said. “It’s just wonderful that they are giving so much money to research. My hope is that they find a cure. We sure do miss her.”

Over the past 16 years, the Susan G. Komen Foundation has raised more than $65 million to fight breast cancer. The foundation organizes 86 Race for the Cure events nationwide.

Orange County’s race has been one of the most successful, raising $2 million since 1992. This year, Orange County runners raised more than $900,000, far surpassing any other year, officials said.

Nationwide, the foundation is the largest nonprofit provider of breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment services for women, as well as the nation’s largest private funder of research dedicated solely to breast cancer, said Sally Coombe, the race spokeswoman.

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According to the foundation’s cancer statistics, an estimated 1,650 Orange County women will be diagnosed with the disease this year.

The Punim sisters, 11-year-old Melissa and 9-year-old Amanda, are intimately familiar with breast cancer. As they looked at their mother, Donna, standing alongside hundreds of other breast cancer survivors, the girls could not help but smile and express their pride.

After all, it was only a year ago that she was taken to the hospital, ill from the effects of chemotherapy. Seeing their mother standing and healthy was indescribable, Melissa said.

“It’s a different feeling,” she said. “It’s just really special. We hope to help so that people find a cure. “

John Richardson, whose wife of 17 years is suffering from the disease, was moved to tears by the ceremony honoring the survivors. His 44-year-old wife, Lynda, was diagnosed with the illness six years ago, he said. But she is intent on continuing with her life, staying active and healthy, he said.

“It’s just very moving,” he said. “I’m very proud of her.”

* RESULTS: C10