Asbury Park Press
POINT PLEASANT BEACH — A record-breaking 17,000 people participated Sunday in the annual American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, said Kathleen Daly, the organization’s senior director of special events.
More than $1.1 million was raised.
“The energy of the walk was incredible,” Daly said. “There is no walk like the Point Beach walk. It is the largest by far, with more cancer survivor participants than any other. There is more passion and energy. When you go there, you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself.”
While Daly said she expected some 15,000 participants, she said 3,000 more than last year came out Sunday.
“It was a beautiful day, and it exceeded our expectations,” Daly said.
And while the increased number had to do in part with increased recruitment and program efforts, the beautiful sunny day didn’t hurt.
Among the 17,000 individual and team participatants were more than 800 cancer survivors.
“This is a great event about people coming together because they are passionate about the cause, and they want to remember and honor those they have lost or who are currently battling the disease,” spokeswoman Desiree Berenguer Carton said. “It’s a wonderful event that brings the community together.”
That community included Kiss drummer Peter Criss, a male breast cancer survivor who did the walk for the second year in a row, and Amanda Barrett, 34, of the Manahawkin section of Stafford, who credits money raised through the walk to support research and programs for saving her life.
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