Participants in Sunday’s Cancer Center 10k Run choke the starting point near Montecito Union School.
The numbers are staggering ? in a good way!!
On Sunday morning, the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara (CCSB) and Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara hosted the 20th?Annual Cancer Center Race/Walk ? a local 10K race and 5K race/walk with 100% of all proceeds benefiting CCSB?s Clinical Research Program.
?When we started this event with Julie Main 20 years ago, we raised $12,000,? shares Jack Bianchi, a local community star, coach and cancer survivor himself.
Back then the race was known as the?Terry Fox Run.
Santa Barbara City College women’s softball players made a team effort to fight cancer on Sunday.
And on Sunday under crystal clear sunny skies in sleepy Montecito, a record 1104 participants stood up in a BIG way to kick cancer — an incredible increase from the 867 who participated in 2011 …
The raced.
They walked.
They pushed strollers.
They did it all!
In the 10K race, Santa Barbara?s Jeff Devine, 43, was first to cross the finish line (39:04). Carpinteria?s Mariann Thomas, 49, finished first amongst females (43:17).
Ojai?s Briggs Boss, 16, won the 5K (20:23). Kimberly Hazard, 48, from Santa Ynez, was the first 5K female finisher (21:39).
The decision to run was ?last minute? for Boss ?
?I got home from school last night and just decided to give it a try,? he said.
He is a sophomore member of The Thatcher School?s cross country team, while his proud pop, Hugh, is a longtime member of the CCSB?s board of directors.
10k winner Jeff DeVine, with his American Riviera Bank racing team.
?We really couldn?t have asked for a more incredible day,? says Rick Scott, Vice President of Oncology Services for the CCSB with new partner, Sansum Clinic.
And about the large turnout, he added, ?We are making great strides in our local research and the good news is that there are a lot more survivors than ever before.?
One of them is Barbara Yaffee, who was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago — she?s here with husband, Masen.
?I am survivor and a pre-vivor,? she told Presidio Sports.
When questioned further about the term ?pre-vivor,? Yaffee stated that she had ?a preventative double mastectomy to eliminate the risk of breast cancer in the future.?
There were many familiar faces in the large crowd including Joyce Dudley, Santa Barbara District Attorney, who, literally, ran in from Carpinteria. She did the walk with friends.
And this year, a new twist and another record: 66 teams!
?That?s about 20 more than last year,? Scott added.
Those receiving team honors were:
- Largest Team ? Julie (Main?s) Team (56)
- Team Raising Most Money ? Beachbutton ($10,245)
- Silver Cup Award??- I Love CoCo (repeat winner –raised $1637 per participant)
Everyone was treated to ?the best post-race food on the planet? ? again provided by the Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara.
?They have been here every step of the way with us these 20 years and we are so appreciative,? Scott stated.
?We love the Cancer Center and we love this event,? replied Karen Earp, general manager.
And about those strollers mentioned earlier ?
Briggs Boss, 16 and a sophomore at Thacher on Ojai, won the 5K Race with a time of 20:23 (6:34 min/mile/avg) and is shown here with his dad, Hugh, a longtime member of the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara Board of Directors
Well, one of them was being pushed by Jeff Zamora ? of the ?Jogging for Jeffrey? Team ? named in memory of his young son who died of cancer in 2008 at age two.
The elder Zamora was nowhere near his 5K winning time in 2011.
Pushing three-year-old twins (Jordan and Thalia) will do that to you.
In fact, he had trouble navigating his way past the finish line with its long narrowing??chute ?.
?They didn?t make this for a double-wide,? he said with a big smile.
All in all ? a truly spectacular day and effort in the cancer fight.
And about how much money did they hope to raise??
?We?re keeping our fingers crossed for $200,000. With pledges still coming in, we should know in the next day or two,? said Stephanie Carlisle, of CCSB?s development department.
Chances here are very good?
And that will, of course, be, yes — another record!
