Sixth annual Komen race has Spokane awash in pink

About 9,000 people painted downtown Spokane pink Sunday in the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Now in its sixth year, the event will raise roughly $500,000. Seventy-five percent of the money will be distributed to breast cancer awareness programs or mammography testing in Eastern Washington. The other 25 percent goes to the national Susan G. Komen for The Cure Foundation, the world’s largest breast cancer organization.

“What’s so great is seeing all kinds of people dressing up in bright colors,” said Alison Liaboe, the event’s marketing chair.

“Lots of teams wear bright pink wigs. And a lot of men do the run wearing pink tutus,” she said.

About 700 walkers or runners also wore pink survivor shirts given to them by the Eastern Washington chapter of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Liaboe said it’s likely the number of cancer survivors in the event is greater than 700.

The total of all participants Sunday was very close to last year’s race, when 8,800 took part, Liaboe said.

Participants either walked or ran the one mile or the five-kilometer course that started and ended in downtown.

Taking part were Spokane Mayor Mary Verner and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who was in Spokane for a number of events. Both ran in the race, Liaboe said.

Another participant Sunday was Spokane resident Carol Dellinger. A dental assistant and motivational speaker, Dellinger was diagnosed with breast cancer more than a year ago.

Dellinger, who’s finished 250 marathons, is known as the “marathon warrior,” Liaboe said.

Money for research and mammography tests comes from race entries and funds pledged to participating teams.