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Breast Friends for Life, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center and H.O.P.E for a Day would typically be gearing up this time of year for their annual breast cancer awareness events.

Now, in the midst of COVID-19, the organizations have had to find alternative and virtual routes to raise money for their cause.

The Breast Friends for Life Board is hosting a virtual Paint the Town Pink.

But after 10 years, the HOPE committee decided that the walk will no longer take place going forward.

Between BFFL and the HOPE walk, $940,000 has been raised in that time, according to HOPE Committee Board Member Sherry Callaway. They hope to reach $1 million by the end of the year.

The annual 10-mile walk through LaGrange celebrated the men and women who have overcome breast cancer, or who are currently battling the disease.

We’re sad to see the walk go, but excited to see what these organizers come up with next. Callaway said they are looking for fresh blood on the board and new ideas, and we recommend that young people looking to make a difference get involved.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. In Georgia, in 2017, 7,757 cases of breast cancer were reported.

In addition, 42,000 people died of breast cancer that year.

We appreciate all the people who participated over the past decade, and the work of organizers to keep on keepin’ on.

We support any efforts to support breast cancer research to find a cure for a disease that affects so many of us.