Approximately 8,000 people came together at the 21st Annual Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure on Sunday morning to walk, run, celebrate and raise funds to fight breast cancer..

“We are so grateful for everyone who joined us at the Race for the Cure to support women in our community,” said David Richart, Komen Puget Sound executive director. “By running or walking, the steps taken today will bring us closer to a future free of breast cancer.”

The race also provided roughly 600 breast cancer survivors with an opportunity to come together as a supportive community and be a part of a festival of life. The day ended with a parade of survivors that culminated with a performance by Emmy-award-winning singer Michael Wansley, AKA Wanz.

The total dollars raised by the top 100 fundraisers was over $157,000. The top five individual fundraisers were Paula Hiatt, $8,066; Teagen Nguyen, $6,590; Kay Anthony, $5,800; Tara Coffland, $5,105 and Ann McMurray, $4,775.

Seventy-five percent of the money raised from the race is invested locally towards providing the Puget Sound community with breast health education, screening and treatment support. Twenty-fife percent of the funds go to global research into improved detection and treatment of breast cancer, and to ultimately curing this disease.