In its sixth year, Churchill Downs will host its Survivors Parade for breast and/or ovarian cancer survivors just before the running of the 140th Kentucky Oaks on May 2, 2014. This year, Churchill Downs and Kroger have teamed with Bright Pink for the event. Churchill Downs has donated over $500,000 to breast cancer research through its Pink Out campaign. Nominations for survivors are currently being accepted now through March 31 at Kentucky Derby.com.
After Tricia Amburgey, a long-time Churchill Downs employee was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2009, Churchill Downs became active in promoting breast cancer and launched the Survivors Parade and Pink Out on Kentucky Oaks Day to bring awareness to the disease.
“Although she eventually lost her battle with cancer this past year at the early age of 42, the strength and courage Tricia displayed over the past five years serves as an inspiration to all and motivates us to do what we can to prevent others from suffering the same fate,” said Ryan Jordan, general manager of Churchill Downs Racetrack.
Churchill Downs will make a special tribute to Amburgey during the 2014 Survivors Parade.
“It is our hope that through education, prevention and treatment we eventually no longer have a need for a Survivors Parade.” said Jordan.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Kentucky 114.1 – 118.6 people per 100,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and 20.7 to 22.1 per 100,000 people died from the disease in 2010.
“The Pink Out has become an important tradition at Churchill Downs over the past several years and we are pleased to be able to include a major fundraising program that gives our company, business partners and racetrack guests an opportunity to support Bright Pink’s efforts to overcome the two of the most deadly of women’s health issues, breast and ovarian cancer,” said Jordan.
"Bright Pink is so grateful to be a part of the Longines Kentucky Oaks in 2014,” said Lindsay Avner, Bright Pink Founder and CEO. “To have the opportunity to spread our message of breast and ovarian cancer prevention and early detection on such an international stage is invaluable and will undoubtedly have a tremendous lifesaving impact."
