JENNIE: Annual Miracle Mile Walk won’t take place in person this year

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)– For more than 20 years, the Piedmont Augusta Foundation has sponsored the annual Miracle Mile Walk to raise funds and awareness about breast cancer. But this year, in light of the CSRA being walloped by Hurricane Helene, there won’t be a big walk.

Anne Catherine Murray is the Executive Director of Philanthropy at Piedmont Augusta Foundation.

“As disappointing as this is to the community, to the survivors, to the people who’ve been fundraising, to our sponsors, to all of us who’ve been working so hard on this. It’s just not the right time to have the actual walk. It’s just too many people. In the past, we’ve had as many as I’ve heard 14,000 people out there. And it’s a big drain on our, say, our public safety and all other individuals that are out there who’ve been impacted by the storm. So it’s just not the right time to do it. But we do really want to encourage people if they’re in the situation where they can continue to fundraise or just raise awareness for the reason we have the Miracle Mile walk, then we welcome them to do that.”

JENNIE: This would have been your first year with Miracle Mile Walk as the foundation director. But, you know, it doesn’t change what the mission is. And that the money raised stays local, that it’s so important for the mobile mammography unit and for the Randy Cooper Breast Health Center.

Anne Catherine Murray : “You’re exactly right. I mean, since 2001, we’ve screened more than 83,000 folks on the mobile mammography unit, which travels through a 25 county area. And they’ve found over almost 400 cases of breast cancer just through that. And that mobile mammography unit does not make any money. So this walk, the Miracle Mile Walk, really funds it. And as you said, also the Randy W. Cooper Center for Breast Health Services, where we’re able to do diagnostic testing, we’re able to do genetic testing, excuse me, and provide counseling, there’s survivorship, there’s support groups. There’s financial assistance for those who are going through it. And I’m sure like you, you know, many people like me, you know many people who have been touched by breast cancer and this facility is so important to so many of those folks. If they want to do their own virtual walk, Jennie, that’s perfectly fine. And they can do it whenever they want to do it. They don’t have to do it on October 19 and they can just take pictures and tag themselves at hashtag Miracle Mile Walk 2024.”

Since 2001, the Miracle Mile Walk has raised $5.6-Million dollars for early detection and survivorship. If you want more information about the mobile mammography unit, call 706-774-4149.

Miracle Mile Donation Drop-off and T-shirt pickup day is Thursday, October 17 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm at Piedmont Summerville. Raffle tickets will still be available to purchase through Sunday, October 20. The drawing and winners announcement will be on social media Monday, October 21.

Miracle Mile Walk T-shirts and other merchandise remain available for sale at Piedmont Augusta, Piedmont Summerville, and Piedmont McDuffie campuses.

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