In June 2021, BAPS Charities held its annual walk/run across 73 cities in USA. This year, unlike the past, the event was primarily a virtual one out of concern for the safety of the participants and volunteers due to the ongoing effects of COVID-19.
Building from 2020 and continuing its tradition of supporting global and community causes, this year’s event supported Susan G. Komen® and its efforts to address breast cancer on multiple fronts, including advocacy, research and patient support. In 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 49,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. BAPS Charities is proud to be a Supporting Partner for Susan G Komen’s efforts.
Communities that have a sense of shared responsibility have a greater power to provide help and assist those in need. Year after year, BAPS Charities’ walks and events remind us that by uniting in the spirit of service to others, we can all go further. In alignment with this mission, participants in this year’s In The Joy Of Others Walk | Run collectively pledged to walk 100 million steps. People of all ages took part, from 5-year-old first-time walkers to senior citizens. The event format allowed participants to achieve their steps in a manner they felt comfortable and safe. It gave families a noteworthy reason to get out and do something together, all the while bringing attention to a good cause. Over 11,000 registered participants in 73 cities logged over 200 million steps, far exceeding the initial goal.
On August 27, 2021, representatives of Susan G. Komen gathered in Dallas, TX where BAPS Charities presented a donation of $50,000. The gift was leveraged months earlier as part of a matching gift campaign to raise an additional $50,000 for the cause. All matched contributions will go towards supporting Susan G. Komen’s mission in saving lives and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of BAPS Charities and its members. Thanks to this donation, we will be able to continue our research into new treatments and ensure that people facing breast cancer today get the care they need,” said Sarah Rosales, VP of Corporate Partnerships for Susan G. Komen.
Also present at the event in Dallas was Rick Stopfer, Mayor of the city of Irving, TX. He added: “I can’t say enough about kindness and commitment that BAPS Charities shows by raising funds for giving back to the community. While this year they were not able to do the annual walk physically, they did it virtually instead. It was a great opportunity for my wife Melanie and I to get out and walk together.”
Yogen Rao, a local BAPS Charities volunteer, said, “Breast cancer affects communities, their families and their friends. The partnership between BAPS Charities and Susan G. Komen is an opportunity for us to work together to further reduce deaths from breast cancer and increase awareness about this disease.”
BAPS Charities thanks all of the participants, volunteers, supporters and well-wishers who made the events across the country successful.
