The MACPA’s New Professionals Task Force is sponsoring the Race for the Cure® for the fourth year in a row. This year, the MACPA will be a stage sponsor and assist with “Pinking the Town” by decorating 1,000 pink ribbons to line the race path, honoring those who have been affected by the battle with breast cancer.

Dana DePalma, chair of the New Professionals Task Force, is encouraging MACPA members, family and friends to join the MACPA “team” in the Race.

“We are excited to be sponsoring such a wonderful event, and the exposure that we’ll get as an organization banding together to fight breast cancer will be rewarding,” said DePalma.

Sharon Hemmen is a member of the New Professionals Task Force and a breast cancer survivor. She has participated in the Race for the Cure® for the past three years, and last year took second place for the highest number of donations brought in by an individual.

“The Race is so important to me because it helps me remain positive about my outlook for survival. Instead of focusing energy on worrying about a recurrence, raising funds for the Race puts my energy into something positive,” said Hemmen.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. In fact, one in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in her life.

DePalma said this is why the Race for the Cure® is so important to the members of the Task Force. Most people have been affected by breast cancer in some way, and it is critical to show our support and help fight this devastating disease.

Last year, 109 people walked with the MACPA, helping the team come in seventh place for team donations. DePalma wants to exceed last years’ participation by growing the team and raising as much money as possible to help fund breast cancer research.

“We, as a future of the profession, hope to encourage members, family and friends to get involved and support their community through the Race for the Cure®,” DePalma said.

Showing your support is easy and there are several options to get involved. Please visit Team MACPA Fact Sheet for more details on the opportunities listed below.

• Give MACPA the name of a friend or loved one who has fought the battle against breast cancer. The person’s name will appear on a pink ribbon provided by the MACPA to “Pink the Town.” Ribbons will line the race route creating a visual tribute to those affected by breast cancer.
• You can choose to either walk one mile or five kilometers or you can run the 5K race.
• If you do not have time to join the MACPA team in the Race, show your support by making a donation in the name of the MACPA, or by sponsoring a student to walk in the Race.

To join the MACPA team in the Race for the Cure® visit the MACPA’s ‘Register for the Race for the Cure®’ web page, or to make a donation to the Race in the name of the MACPA visit the “Donate to the Race for the Cure” web page. If you have any questions or comments please contact membership@michcpa.org or call 248.267.3700.