The starting signal for the 11th annual Pink Up The Pace 5K Walk/Run will sound at 8 a.m. Oct. 5 in historic downtown St. Augustine. The two-day event will kick off October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Pink Up The Pace is a nonprofit organization founded by Cindy Chaconas in 2009 when she was diagnosed at age 28 with breast cancer.
The event continues to grow. The inaugural 2009 race attracted more than 800 participants and raised $20,000. Since then, the organization has funded $300,000 in breast imaging services. All the money raised stays in St Johns County and goes directly toward the mission of assisting the uninsured and underinsured with financial challenges faced in the detection of breast cancer.
This year’s PUTP weekend will begin with the Expo and Packet Pickup from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at First Coast Technical College where there will be informative booths regarding breast cancer awareness, treatment and support, vendors and raffles. The race is followed by a PUTP Kids’ Fun Run, sponsored by Lighthouse Pediatrics. The Fun Run is free and open to kids age 6 and under. Registration for the Fun Run is mandatory and only available at the Expo or on race day. Registration for the 5K at the Expo is $30, or $35 on race day for. Children ages 6 to14 can register for $15 through Oct. 4 or $35 on race day. To register online or learn more about PUTP, visit www.pinkupthepace.org.
