Prisma Health Midlands Foundation to host 33rd annual Walk for Life and Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon + 5K

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Join Prisma Health Midlands Foundation in kicking breast cancer to the curb at the 33^rd annual Walk for Life and Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon + 5K, presented by Dominion Energy, on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 at Segra Park.

Each year, thousands of Midlands community members hit the pavement to raise awareness about early detection, celebrate survivors and support others currently battling breast cancer.

Registration is now open at WalkForLifeColumbia.org. All registrations include an event T-shirt, and breast cancer survivors will receive a keepsake survivors’ hat. Participants can sign up individually or as part of a team. And new for 2023, there’s something extra fun for kids of all ages! This year’s event will also include the 800-meter Aflac Fun Run. The half marathon, 5K walk and run, and kids fun run will all end in Segra Park’s ballpark.

The South Carolina State Fair is also once again offering free admission to the Fair – valued at $20 per person – on Sunday, Oct. 15, for anyone who wears the official 2023 event shirt.

“It’s incredibly powerful to see thousands of people coming together each year to honor breast cancer survivors and lend a hand to those who are in the fight,” said Jeffery Faw, Prisma Health Midlands Foundation Executive Director. “Walk for Life continues to make a profound impact in the community through raising funds for Prisma Health Breast Center and supporting patients and families affected by the disease.”

Since its inception, the Walk for Life and Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon + 5K has raised more than $11.6 million to fund the latest in digital mammography technology and enhance programs and services for breast cancer patients. Proceeds from the 2023 event will help fund the modernization of Prisma Health’s Baptist Breast Center; a 3D digital mammography unit for Prisma Health’s Richland Breast Center; and will also ensure that patients continue to receive special items like “breast bears” for surgery patients to use in the car post-surgery, post-mastectomy camisoles and more.

Walk for Life began in 1991 when former First Lady of Columbia, Beth Coble, founded the event, in collaboration with the former Baptist Medical Center team, now part of Prisma Health in the Midlands.

Registration fees through Oct. 12, 2023:
$45: Walk
$45: 5K Race (Prices increase to $55 on Sept. 16)
$15: Aflac Fun Run (Price increases to $20 on Sept. 16)
$70: Half Marathon (Price increases to $80 on Aug. 1, $90 on Sept. 1 and $100 on Oct. 1)

Online registration will close on Thursday, October 12 at 11:59 p.m. Packet pickup for all walkers and runners will be held Oct. 10-13 at Strictly Running, located at 2515 Devine Street in Columbia. On Oct. 14, walkers and 5K runners will start in front of Segra Park and end in Segra Park’s ballpark. The half marathon will kick off at 7:15 a.m., the Aflac Fun Run will begin at 7:30 a.m., the 5K will start at 7:55 a.m. and walkers will hit the pavement at 8:00 a.m.

For the latest event information and sponsorship opportunities, visit WalkForLifeColumbia.org.

About Prisma Health Breast Center
As the largest provider of screening and diagnostic breast imaging services in our community, Prisma Health Breast Center is critical to the health of women and men in our community. An average of 40,000 mammograms are performed each year at the Breast Center. It was the first program in South Carolina to be fully accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, administered by the American College of Surgeons, which ensures that patients will have access to comprehensive care, an interdisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options, breast cancer conferences, nurse navigators, information about ongoing clinical trials and quality breast care close to home. The Breast Center also provided the first mobile mammography unit in South Carolina in 1988.

About Prisma Health Midlands Foundation
Prisma Health Midlands Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, engages community partners to enhance health care for patients and families served by Prisma Health in the Midlands. For more information, visit PrismaHealthMidlandsFoundation.org.

About Prisma Health 
Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company and the largest healthcare organization in South Carolina. The company has 29,750 team members, 18 acute and specialty hospitals, 2,827 beds, 300 outpatient sites, and more than 5,300 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Along with this innovative network, Prisma Health serves almost 1.5 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health’s goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. Learn more at PrismaHealth.org.