Published on October 01, 2023
Especially for You® Race achieves record participation with 16,500+ registrants
A record-setting 16,546 people registered for the 33rd annual Especially for You® Race Against Breast Cancer, which took place this morning at Mercy Medical Center. This year’s race exceeded the previous record of 15,800 participants in 2022.
Proceeds from race registrations benefit the Especially for You fund. This year, more than $531,147 in registrations was raised for the fund, which provides financial assistance for breast and gynecological cancer screenings and services for area individuals in need. Since its inception, the Especially for You fund has helped more than 13,300 individuals with 35,600 services right here in Linn County.
General Mills and Mercy Medical Center are co-founders of the race, which includes a 5K run, 5K walk and a one-mile family fun walk. The course route took participants through downtown Cedar Rapids and finished at Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, where participants enjoyed music, kids’ activities, food truck offerings and a health fair.
The Especially for You Race has experienced tremendous growth since the first race in 1991, when 1,078 people participated. The race and Especially for You fund are dedicated to the memory of Sandy Knight, a Whittier resident and General Mills employee who died of breast cancer at an early age in July 1991. It was her wish to establish a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and education.
2023 Race Details
- Total registrants: 16,546 (There were 15,800 in 2022.)
- Money raised for Especially for You: More than $531,147 in race registrations
- Total number of registered teams: 584 (Also a race record!)
Top Business Teams with Most Members:
- Mercy Medical Center – 1,168
- Fairfax State Savings Bank – 339
- OB-GYN Associates- 253
Top Family Teams with Most Members:
- Team Deb "Live Life Until the End" – 254
- Team JGO - 92
- Amber’s Army- 88
Fun Facts
- Race participants represented 574 cities and 40 states, as well as Canada.
- Total number of cancer survivors registered for the race – 1,003.
- This year’s T-shirt was hot pink with black sleeves. The color is changed every year.
- Race results will be posted at www.especiallyforyourace.org later today.
