Especially for You Race Celebrates 29 Years with Nearly 14,500 Participants - MedQ
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Especially for You Race Celebrates 29 Years with Nearly 14,500 Participants

MedQuarter (MedQ) Regional Medical District | October 7th, 2019

Especially for You Race Celebrates 29 Years with Nearly 14,500 Participants

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (Oct. 6, 2019) – Nearly 14,500 people registered for the 29th annual Especially for You® Race Against Breast Cancer, which took place today at Mercy Medical Center.

Proceeds from race registrations benefit the Especially for You fund. This year more than $429,000 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 10,000 individuals with 21,000 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 finishes in the NewBo district where participants enjoyed music, free kids’ activities, team photo opportunities, mascots, massages, a health fair and a pancake breakfast.

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 a young age in July 1991. It was her wish to establish a race to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and education.

2019 Race Details

Total registrants: 14,473 (in 2018 there were 15,200)

Money raised for Especially for You:   More than $429,000 in race registrations

Total number of registered teams: 457

Top Business Teams with Most Members:

  1. Mercy Medical Center – 1,227
  2. Fairfax State Savings Bank – 644
  3. OBGYN Associates – 202

Top Family Teams with Most Members:

  1. Team Deb: Live Life Until the End – 209
  2. Michelle’s Motivators – 108
  3. Pamela Jo – 92

Fun Facts 

  • Race participants represented 454 cities, 30 states, and were from as far away as Great Britain.
  • The oldest registrant was 100 years old.
  • Total number of cancer survivors registered for the race – 710
  • This year’s t-shirt color was burgundy.  The color is changed every year.
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