Breast cancer walks are fundraising events in which participants will walk a certain distance in order to raise money for breast cancer research. These are popular events because almost everyone can participate, from current cancer sufferers, to survivors, to supportive friends and family members. Some people participate in the walks even if they do not have a friend or family member with the disease, just to help promote breast cancer awareness and research. Generally, each person or group participating in the breast cancer walk will request monetary "sponsorship" from people they know, such as friends or coworkers, to help raise money.
Individuals may participate in breast cancer walks by themselves or as part of a team. Teams are quite popular because they tend to encourage more monetary participation. It also gives people a fun, bonding activity to do together; groups may be made up of friends, groups of coworkers, or family members. In addition, these events can be a good way for cancer patients or survivors to meet other survivors and offer support and encouragement. Generally, people of all ages can participate in breast cancer walks, as long as their health is good enough to allow them to walk the specified distance.
The distance of breast cancer walks can vary depending on the people who are organizing it. Some walks will require participants to walk a long distance, while others will allow a type of relay to allow certain team members to rest while others keep walking. In addition, some events will have a group of people that choose to run the distance rather than walk it; some races will have different distances available for certain participants. Some participants might choose to run a marathon or half-marathon if it is an option, for example, while others may just walk a few miles or kilometers.
The organizations that host breast cancer walks will encourage participants to collect sponsorships from their friends and family. These are really just directed donations to the organizations, but it helps to promote the spirit of friendly competition among different individuals or teams, as to who can raise the most money. This type of friendly fundraising competition can be an excellent way to raise more money that is usually collected through simple donations. Events such as these also get people outside, getting some exercise, and doing something healthy for themselves, making them excellent fundraising events all around.