Tenerife Hosts 20th Race for Life Charity Party

The phrase "See you this Sunday at the Race for Life party!" is being heard everywhere in southern Tenerife and across much of the island these days. This big annual charity event, organized by the Canarian foundation led by Brigitte Gypen, is expected to draw huge crowds again. Thousands will walk in a festive atmosphere from Siam Mall to the area known as the Golden Mile in Playa de Las Américas.

It's hard to believe, but 20 years have passed since a group of friends first gathered outside the Tenerife Auditorium. Their goal was simple: to walk and raise awareness about preventing breast cancer. That small group walking through Santa Cruz was the start of what has become a huge "pink tide." Tomorrow, this event will once again celebrate life, offer hope to patients, and remember those lost to the disease.

The organizers and their team of volunteers have been working tirelessly for months on tomorrow's event. The past few weeks have been especially busy, as they've poured their hearts into preparing everything. Last year, the event broke records with over 7,000 participants and raised 109,130 euros. Expectations are high for this year too. If you haven't signed up yet, you can still register and get your t-shirt for 7 euros at Siam Mall. Registration is open until 8:00 PM today and until the march begins tomorrow.

Around 80 volunteers, mostly women, handle many different tasks. Without them, an event this big would be impossible to organize. Besides helping new patients at the Pink Room in Adeje and delivering special bras to those affected by breast cancer, these volunteers – some of whom are also patients – have been busy. They've prepared t-shirts, made and sold crafts like bracelets, small shoes, and keychains, taken part in fashion shows, and staffed registration desks at Siam Mall every Saturday in November.

Tomorrow is the final push: setting up tents, placing tables, distributing materials, and handling last-minute registrations. Working with the municipalities of Adeje and Arona, the Canarian Race for Life Foundation has planned a big party starting at 9:30 AM. It will feature music and impressive dance routines at both the start and finish lines, where a prize draw will also take place for all participants.

One volunteer, a breast cancer survivor, told this newspaper, "Many people want to help because they've experienced the disease themselves. Others tell us they do it because they don't know if it will affect them one day." She remembers a day when a woman seemed "paralyzed" after seeing the Foundation's stand. "The woman looked shocked, so I went over to her. She told me she was going to be discharged in a month, ten years after her diagnosis. She said it had been very difficult. I then told her she was an inspiration to me, because seeing her story made me believe I could get through it too."

Twenty years on, tomorrow's event is more than just another gathering. It's also a special day for Brigitte Gypen, the event's godmother. The Foundation's board and the wider "pink family" surprised her with this honor at their last awards ceremony. This is a well-deserved recognition of her incredible work and dedication over the past two decades.