Young men help raise awarenss--photo by Marty Luster

Last Saturday, about 500 people attended the 13^th Annual Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance Walk-A-Thon on the Ithaca Commons. People of all ages, races, and classes came together to raise awareness about breast cancer and other types of cancers.

The theme this year was "Access to Health Care" because early detection is key to surviving the disease. About 46 million people in the US now don't have health insurance, leaving them more vulnerable for not getting treatment early enough.

The Walk-A-Thon is IBCA's biggest fundraiser of the year. This year, according to Executive Director Shawn Galbraith, they raised $50,000 on the day of the event, with $31,000 of that through onsite registration, a canoe raffle held at the event, and the rest through online registration and sales. Additionally, over the past few months they've received more than $40,000 in corporate support.

Located in the Women's Community Building, IBCA offers free information, support, and classes to women living with breast cancer, as well as their family and caregivers.

To see photos of the event—compliments of Marty Luster, go to:

http://ithacanews.org/gallery/index.htm?id=73  

More information on IBCA: http://www.ibca.net/index.php