Hundreds of people took to the streets of Monaco on Sunday for the 15th edition of the Pink Ribbon Monaco Walk, joining the annual 5km route through Monaco in support of women’s cancer awareness and early detection.
Participants set off from Port Hercule and made their way up to the Rock, passing the Oceanographic Museum and pausing at the Prince’s Palace for the traditional picture, before circling back to the port.
The walk formed part of the broader Monaco Run event. However, unlike traditional timed races, participants did not carry numbered bibs for timing purposes. Instead, they used their race numbers to write personal messages including tributes to loved ones, words of encouragement, or the names of those they are walking for. Additionally, many taking part were themselves cancer patients or survivors, while others walked in memory of someone they have lost.
Speaking minutes before the start to Monaco Life, Natasha Frost-Savio, President and Founder of Pink Ribbon Monaco, described the motivations she sees year after year. “People come here, first of all, to support people they know with cancer. It’s also to show that they are supporting people to get checked earlier, because that saves lives. Early detection is a lifesaver in every sense.”
She also spoke about the emotional weight the event carries, even after 15 years. “Sometimes it gets really hard and you king of wonder, why am I doing this? Because it’s so much work. It’s emotional. You have people coming to tell you their stories about their breast cancer or their mother passing away.” But, she added, handing over funds raised to the hospital researchers makes it worthwhile. “It gives you energy to keep on going, because it has to be done.”
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Funding research at Princess Grace Hospital
All proceeds from the walk go towards screening studies for lobular breast cancer at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, supporting research led by Dr Florent Hugonnet.
Frost-Savio said the work is at a critical point. “He is doing groundbreaking research on the detection of lobular breast cancer using nuclear science, and we need to get to the next step of this study. So we need money right now. It’s really important because it can save thousands and thousands of lives around the world.”
When asked what the association needs most at this point, she was direct: “We need more money. We have medical research that desperately needs to be funded.”
Pink Ribbon Monaco was founded in 2011 by Natasha Frost-Savio, and operates under the Honorary Presidency of Princess Charlene of Monaco.
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Main photo credit: Monaco Life