MIAMI – The InterContinental hotel dressed up in neon pink to honor the breast cancer survivors who arrived at Bayfront Park before sunrise on Saturday.
Thousands of Race for The Cure participants shut down downtown Miami until about 1 p.m. Some of the teams including churches, schools, businesses and families dressed up for a carnival.
Some wore glitter, face paint, ballerina tutus and fairy wings. The Susan G. Komen celebration of life -- which raised about $585,000 so far this October to fund local programs -- began with an emotional pink rose survivors' ceremony.
Katy Perry's "Firework" and Sara Bareilles's "Brave" were some of the songs played as some 1,000 women wearing "Survivors" T-shirts celebrated. More women are surviving the disease this year than they were about two decades ago when the event began.
There is a lot of work to be done to deal with breast cancer in South Florida.
Black women are 41 percent more likely to die of the disease than are white women, according to a study the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published earlier this month.
The study showed white women saw a 1.9 percent decrease in death rates from 2010 to 2014, while black women saw a 1.5 percent decrease.
Follow the Local 10 News' Mammogram Monday series on Local10.com's Health section during the month of October. And be sure to share the stories on social media to raise awareness.
TRAFFIC FLOW
Miami police officers closed roads in downtown from 5 a.m. to about 1 p.m.
Uber was providing $20 discounts with the KOMEMIAFTL promo code.
Bayside Parking was donating $1 per car at the $4 Bayside Parking Garage.
- The event began on Biscayne Boulevard at Northwest First Street turned westbound at Southeast Second Street and continued along the Miami River.
- Racers turned back eastbound at Northwest Fifth Street and continued under the Interstate 95 at Northwest Third Street.
- The finish line was close to Northeast Fourth Street and Biscayne Blvd.
WALK IN HER SHOES
Pilar Uribe has been sharing about her experience with the disease since 2010 when her short documentary premiered at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival.
After participating in the breast cancer survivors' procession, the Colombian-American actress joined the thousands who responded to the annual call for action. Here are her photos >