Seeing pink

I will always remember the first Race for the Cure I participated in as a breast cancer survivor. It was still a fairly new and unknown event in Columbus as a group of us from work gathered at the start of the course. One of my coworkers looked from the white T-shirt she was wearing to the pretty pink hue of my shirt and commented innocently, "Oh, I want a pink shirt!"

Another survivor and I, who were acutely aware of the significance of our pink shirts, immediately started laughing. Oh no, you don't, we assured our friend.

It was understandable in 1997 that someone participating in the race for the first time might not realize the pink shirts were reserved for those who had faced breast cancer. But for those of us wearing survivor shirts, being able to quickly identify our brethren was amazingly powerful. We wore them proudly, and we walked or ran to keep others from having to join our ranks. We caught each other's eye and smiled in understanding, our own dreams for continued survival buoyed by each pink shirt we encountered.

Columbus' Race for the Cure has grown to one of the largest, with last weekend's 2010 race attracting an amazing 52,000 participants. Such popularity should bring great appreciation and deference for the significance of the pink shirts. I was dismayed, though, to quickly see we survivors had lost our status.

Pink shirts were everywhere, but not just the official survivors' brand. Some matching pink shirts were worn by small groups of people walking in memory or in honor of a loved one. Pink has become so synonymous with the fight against breast cancer, some just wore it as a way to show support for the cause. But no matter how well-meaning, the masqueraders robbed me of the simple joy of being able to reach across the throngs and connect with strangers who shared a profound bond.

I sent a note this week to the director of the Columbus race, congratulating her team for their success and encouraging them to restore the pink shirts to their rightful status for survivors-only in future races. They try to get that message out, she said, but it is not always received.

Looks like I have a new challenge to help tackle for the 2011 race. Let me know if you have good ideas for helping to Preserve the Pink!