Sabah Most Wanted

6,000 turn up for Walk-a-Breast programme

6,000 turn up for Walk-a-Breast programme
Published on: Monday, May 11, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: More than 6,000 participants came dressed in pink t-shirts to support the 5Km Mother's Day Walk-a-Breast programme here, Sunday. The annual walk for breast cancer awareness brings a sea of pink with participants turning up as early as 6am at the Padang Merdeka, here.
The walk was organised by the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon and held for the fifth time to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer which remains the most common among women affecting all races from the age of 20 and is considered the deadliest among all cancer diseases.
The event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs and City Hall.
Unlike previous years, the walk this year took place within the city centre, with Padang Merdeka as the starting point all the way to Jesselton Hotel, passing through Capitol Hotel, Wisma Merdeka, Center Point Sabah, Asia City Complex, Tang Dynasty Hotel, Karamunsing Police Station, SRJK © Chung Hwa, Cititel Express, KFC Bandaran and back to Padang Merdeka.
Participants limbered up in an aerobics session prior to being flagged off by the association's patron, Head of State's wife Toh Puan Hajah Norlidah Tan Sri R M Jasni and the association's President Natrah Datuk Mohd Arif at 7am. This time around, Toh Puan Hajah Norlidah together with Natrah and Kinabalu Pink Ribbon's Past President Lucilla Pang joined in and completed the whole 5Km walk.
Also present were Datuk Anita Baranting who represented the Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Ahmad Ayid and Datuk Yeo Boon Hai who represented Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir, among others.
Jainab in her speech said the government has always encouraged and welcomed involvement and contributions from both public and private sectors to the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon to enable them to conduct more breast cancer awareness campaigns.
She also applauded the efforts initiated by Kinabalu Pink Ribbon which reaches out to the people through various breast cancer awareness campaigns.
Natrah said breast cancer affects one in every 19 women in their lifetime in Malaysia.
Both men and women are at risk of getting breast cancer, although breast cancer is less common among men than among women.
"Thus, the awareness for early breast cancer detection should be instilled in everyone so that it can be controlled and treated, in line with our slogan ' Kill Cancer, Not People'," she said.
Among the highlights of the event was the Go Bald programme which saw Walter Yong going bald in support of his wife, Babyta Oliver's experience throughout her cancer treatment. She was diagnosed with Stage Three cancer. The married couple's two young children, aged four and five, were also there to show support.
Meanwhile, participants also had the chance to see doctors, nurses and employees from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital form a human pink ribbon symbol of breast cancer awareness.