AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Downtown Augusta turned pink Saturday morning for a record-setting annual Miracle Mile Walk put on by the Piedmont Augusta Foundation.
“As of June 10th, I am cancer-free,” said breast cancer survivor Gwen Golatt.
“I am a cancer survivor. Thirty-two years, thank you Lord!” said breast cancer survivor Mary Wright.
“I’m just proud to be a twenty-three year survivor,” said breast cancer survivor Diane Holmes.
Tens of thousands of breast cancer survivors and supporters like Golatt, Wright, and Holmes showed up to turn Downtown Augusta into a sea of pink.
“It’s just terrific, I mean it seems like every year more and more people are joining in,” said Miracle Mile walker Shirley Knights.
They walked three miles and donated to support the Piedmont Augusta Foundation.
“No woman is ever turned away from having a mammogram thanks to the proceeds from today,” said Laurie Ott, the president of the Piedmont Augusta Foundation. “And it means our mobile mammography unit is able to get out into the twenty-county area in this region in both South Carolina and Georgia and screen women who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get a mammogram.”
For people in our community, this could mean the difference between life and death.
“All of the money stays here to support women right here in Augusta get mobile mammograms, that’s the most important part about breast cancer is early detection,” said Miracle Mile walker Kasey Smith.
“I have my mom on my shirt today, she’s one of my heroes. She lost the battle with cancer, just everybody please get checked,” said Miracle Mile walker Nicole Rouse.
The fundraising goal is half a million dollars. So far they’ve raised more than $485,000 – their largest amount to date.
“This was a smashing success,” Ott said. “We really want to make more survivors, and thanks to this kind of community support, we know women can survive breast cancer with the mammograms they are going to get from these donations.”
Ott said they will be counting donations through the end of October. If you want to make a donation, click here.