Oct. 24, 2013 | For the 20th year, thousands of people raced the streets of downtown Little Rock to honor those who lost their battle with breast cancer and to celebrate with those who had won.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Series is the largest series of 5K runs/walks in the world and raises money and awards for the fight against breast cancer. UAMS has been a part of the race since its inception, beginning as a founding member for the inaugural race and contributing as a race sponsor each year since. UAMS was a gold sponsor this year, and UAMS’ Rhonda Henry-Tillman, M.D., and Issam Makhoul, M.D., held the ribbon at the finish line for the competitive racers and then announced the winners on stage.

UAMS won the largest team award in the school category with 673 team members. All employees, students, patients, family members and friends were invited to join Team UAMS.

For the third year, UAMS employee and breast cancer survivor Celese Marshall was the captain of Team UAMS.

“I count myself as blessed to not only be a survivor, but to be asked year after year to serve in the capacity of UAMS Team captain,” Marshall said. “What a wonderful year for UAMS to become a gold sponsor on the 20th anniversary of the Komen Race for the Cure. My hope is that in the years to come Team UAMS can grow to become larger and more cohesive than ever.”

This was the first year that a male has chaired the event and that men were able to run alongside their loved ones during the race.

“Hopefully the UAMS team spirit will spur on an excitement and desire to serve, not only all of the breast cancer patients and survivors here on this campus, but in our whole community,” Marshall said. “Thank you, Team UAMS.”

The Arkansas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure was incorporated in 1992. About 75 percent of the funds raised at the race stay in Arkansas to provide breast health research, diagnostics, screening, treatment and education for uninsured or underinsured women. The remaining 25 percent goes to fund national research to discover the causes of breast cancer, and will hopefully lead to its cure. UAMS has received several grants from the Komen Foundation through the years for breast cancer research, outreach and treatment programs.

Check out more photos from the race on UAMS’ Instagram – @uamshealth!