Hope starts here - thanks to 40,000 walkers who braved a blustery day with high winds on the boardwalk at Jones Beach on Sunday, Oct. 16 to raise $2.3 million to fight breast cancer. The funds raised support American Cancer Society research, education, advocacy and quality of life programs and services for breast cancer survivors. Joining more than 1,200 breast cancer survivors at the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event were moms and dads, children, grandparents, neighbors, friends and co-workers all walking to honor breast cancer survivors or remember a loved one lost to the disease.

Every three minutes a woman learns she has breast cancer. On Oct. 16, for about 60 minutes, tens of thousands of people did something about it, by getting donors to sponsor their five-mile non-competitive walk. Since 1993, Making Strides has been the American Cancer Society's premier event dedicated to raising awareness and dollars in support of breast cancer research, programs, advocacy and patient services. The success of the event has enabled the American Cancer Society to fund $246 million for breast cancer research projects - an amount unprecedented by a non-government entity. Dollars raised at Making Strides also help spread lifesaving breast cancer awareness messages; to advocate for screening opportunities for all people; and to ease the cancer burden for people facing the disease.

This year Long Island's walk was one of more than 100 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events taking place throughout the nation in October - including 20 in New York and New Jersey. These 20 walks in both states have seen 174,500 raise a total of $13.1 million.

"Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a chance to celebrate survivorship," said Anne Thorsen, American Cancer Society's Making Strides walk manager. "I want to applaud each and every breast cancer survivor who led the way. These women and men are heroes. They are our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, husbands, brothers, sons and friends. They are the reason we continue the fight and they remind us all of a very important message - early detection is so important."

The American Cancer Society is grateful to the event's corporate sponsors, who are continuing to support the fight against cancer. This year's sponsors on Long Island are: New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), Pathmark, Canon, Civil Service Employee Association (CSEA), Frequency Electronics, Geico, media sponsors WABC-TV and WABC radio group, and national sponsor Discovery Health channel.

For additional information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.