It's the sort of thing that brings people together. It was the struggle, heartbreak and triumph through breast cancer that brought an 38,000 people -- including 2,000 breast cancer survivors -- out once again for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Every sign a different name; every person a different story.
"This is my wife and she passed away five weeks ago," said Jim Robertson, who traveled all the way from South Carolina to support his daughter.
Robertson's daughter is a survivor. But he lost his wife to breast cancer just a few weeks ago.
"This walk is just, so many people come out," he said. "It's fabulous, absolutely wonderful that people care so much."
One nurse who helps diagnose cancer now finds herself fighting the battle for a second time. Even with chemo treatments, Gloria Trowbridge's goal again is to cross the finish line.
"When you go through cancer treatments, I said I am not a survivor yet, but yes I am because I survived one day at a time," she told us.
For many people, this is a long walk and for some a long road to recovery but Saturday, there was encouragement.
"When you see the balloons, you know that there is an end to it and its going to be a good end and its going to be an end that I am going to be cancer free," said survivor Dawn Brick.
This race means so much to breast Brick, who just last year, in fact two days before she suited up to run here, she found out she had breast cancer. Now with every step, she remembers her journey and the family members, including one little one, who helped her through it.
"He would ask me every day, 'How's your cancer doing, Grammy? Are you doing OK? Are the doc taking care of you?'" she said. "I think of all the lives that have been lost and it just gets to you. Yeah, its surreal."
And side by side, these strangers share a common bond -- the determination to find a cure for cancer one step at a time
If you took part in the Race for the Cure this morning, we want to see your photos. Send them to us at news@abc13.com so we can post them online!
