On a cool October day, the sun was shining, the waves were crashing, and there were sounds of people, all dressed in pink, walking up and down the boardwalk of Jones Beach, with looks of pride and courage on their faces. They were all walking for one thing: a cure.

Sixty-four thousand people came to walk for the cause, and the American Breast Cancer Society raised 2 million dollars, according to Marcia DiGregorio, a recruiter and fundraising coach. The society hosted another walk at Dowling College Brookhaven campus. Between both walks they raised 3.2 million dollars.

The results of the walk were amazing, which makes one wonder how all these people heard about the event.  “Our recruitment team of 19 people . . . makes approximately 180,000 calls throughout Long Island,” DiGregorio said.

People all over Long Island came together at Jones Beach to support their loved ones and the cause.  “Seeing all these people walking for breast cancer made me feel blessed to have survived it,” cancer survivor Donna Haughey said. “Knowing all these people were there to try and save others’ lives who are fighting breast cancer is amazing.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, 226,870 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 39,510 women will die of it each year.” Many people know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or has died from it.

I asked some of the walkers why they decided to walk for breast cancer. “To honor my mom and my friend, and I wanted to help the cause,” Diane Spelman said.

A little less than 40,000 women die of breast cancer each year, and a lot of these women have families. Many of the walkers knew people who had been directly affected by breast cancer. “My best friend’s                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  mom passed away five years ago,” participant Lisa Murray said.

Many people wonder why Jones Beach, of all the places on Long Island, is chosen as the location of the walk. “It’s a location that is very attractive to all Long Islanders,” DiGregorio said. “It is a diversified property catering to all ages. The boardwalk alone is a wonder of the world, and the parking [lot] can hold the thousands of vehicles that participate in our event.”

The American Breast Cancer Society is definitely raising awareness, and the results are amazing. The Jones Beach Breast Cancer Walk is proof that we can make a difference when we all come together.