Thousands walked for hope
Lesego Maja
lesegomaja@caxton.co.za
THOUSANDS of walkers flooded to Marks Park for the 8th annual Avon Justine iThemba Walkathon on 27 October.
The streets of Emmarentia were covered in pink as people came from near and far in support of breast cancer awareness, ready to take on either the 5km or the 8km walk.
The iThemba Walkathon was launched in 2006 and has grown substantially from an initial 500 participants to 20 000 in this year.
Among the 20 000 were top personalities and popular faces such as iThemba Ambassador Pabi Moloi and Avon Mesmerise celebrity Kaos Matu.
TV and radio personality Pearl Modiadie emceed the event with actor Leroy Gopal.
I’m thrilled to be part of this initiative for two years running,” said Moloi. “The iThemba Walkathon stands true to the heroes who bravely fought breast cancer in their lifetimes.”
At the starting line, the participants were led by breast cancer survivors who donned pink sashes, shortly after survivor and entrepreneur Karissa Samuel gave a powerful talk.
The walk touched home with many participants as they had lost or knew someone who was diagnosed with the disease.
After crossing the finish line, the participants practically walked into a world of entertainment with an array of stalls and performances by M-Net Idols’ Monde Msutwana and Melissa Allison, as well as the band Tokyo Groove. Children were provided with a play area to keep them entertained
Breast cancer remains the most prevalent form of cancer that affects women and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
“Education and awareness are still needed in our communities to help increase early detection which is key to saving lives.” said Vicky Saunders-Flaherty, Avon Justine’s PR, Internal Communications & Corporate Affairs manager.
Details: Vicky Saunders-Flaherty 010-205-5108, www.ithembawalkathon.co.za
