It was a beautiful day from the word “go” on Saturday morning in Boise, Idaho. The Albertsons campus was awash in a sea of pink as men, women, children, dogs, clowns and local celebrities, such as Boise State football Coach Bryan Harsin, wore their best and brightest pink to support the cause. More than 8,000 runners and walkers lined up on Parkcenter Blvd. with one goal in mind – to support breast cancer awareness and honor those who have battled the disease.
Albertsons has hosted the Komen event for 17 years and, after a lovely rendition of the National Anthem, Albertsons Intermountain Division President, Brad Street, addressed the crowd. “Our stores, in one way or another, have been a part of life in Boise for over seven decades, and in being part of your lives, we feel like you’re truly part of our family,” said Street. “As we’re creating memories today – I also want to create a vision for the future. I hope that one day, we’ll be able to stand together like this and say, ‘I remember when we cured cancer.’ ”
Smiles and cheers greeted each participant as they crossed the finish line. The loudest cheers were reserved for the survivors who celebrated each precious step of the race. Medals were awarded to the top finishers and Albertsons picked up the award for having the largest team at the race.
Before the race, we asked everyone in attendance to post photos and videos to Twitter and Instagram with a hashtag of #KomenBoise. For each hashtag accounted for, Albertsons donated $5 to Komen of Idaho. Tweets flew in and the posts piled up so fast that we easily met our goal and were proud to present Komen with a $5,000 check on your behalf.
Everyone here at Albertsons would like to thank you for supporting your community. It is our hope that one day we will cross the finish line with a cure for cancer. Until that day comes, we will continue to rally and fight this battle together. As an Idahoan and relative of multiple breast cancer survivors, I was proud to see the state of Idaho represent in such a profound way.
This year’s Race for the Cure is over, but the battle against breast cancer continues every day. Find out how you can contribute by clicking here.
