GLADSTONE — The Seventh Annual Pink Pumpkin 5K Walk/Run will be held Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Gladstone East End Pavilion located at 901 Lake Shore Drive. The breast cancer awareness event, usually held in Ludington Park in Escanaba, raises funds for residents undergoing breast cancer treatment. Registration starts at 9 a.m. in the pavilion and the walk/run starts at 10 a.m. Pink painted pumpkins will mark the route from the pavilion.

Participants registering online will receive a T-shirt before the event. Registrants the day of the event may not receive a T-shirt due to availability.

“In previous years we have had a lot of left over T-shirts after the event,” said Pink Pumpkin of Delta County Team Member Mallory Westerberg. “The only way to make sure you get a T-shirt is to register online. They will be limited the day of the event.”

The 5-k route will be marked with pink pumpkins. There will be mile markers along the way so participants can easily see where to turn around if they do not want to complete the full ive-kilometer route. Attendees can purchase a pink pumpkin in honor of a loved one and take it home with them after the event.

“Orders for the pink pumpkins should be in by Thursday … Friday the latest,” said Westerberg. “That allows the paint on the pumpkin time to dry before we place them out on the path. As people follow the path, they should look for their pumpkin and pick it up after the walk/run.”

Before the walk/run there will be an opening ceremony with this year’s speaker Jill Deno. After a mammogram in November 2018, Deno received the unfavorable diagnosis of having breast cancer. She went through almost a year of treatment and is now cancer free.

“Jill Deno is a nurse who received a bad mammogram last November and after going through a year of treatment is cancer free,” said Westerberg. “She now has a new job with Green Bay Oncology as a nurse navigator in one of their 10 cancer treatment locations at OSF St. Francis Hospital. Jill gets to help others going through what she went through. It’s a full circle life moment.”

After the walk/run, all participants are asked to return to the pavilion for information and resourceson mammograms, breast cancer , a bake sale, 50/50 raffle, a bucket raffle, food to purchase, and fun at a photo booth.

“OSF radiology department will have an informational table focused on mammograms. We have a DJ, Nick Moulds, at the event this year leading us through the morning,” said Westerberg.

Besides the venue change, the name of the organization has changed from Pink Pumpkin of Escanaba to Pink Pumpkin of Delta County. The organization was created to help families who are going through breast cancer treatment.

“We changed the name of our organization to reflect the local people we serve,” Westerberg said. “All money raised during this event goes to paying it forward. We want to reach and help as many people as we can.”

Westerberg became involved with the Pink Pumpkin organization through her aunt, founder of the Pink Pumpkin 5K Walk/Run, Joy McKnight. McKnight started the event in 2012 to give back to the community after she was helped in many ways during her treatments. McKnight is an eight and a half year breast cancer survivor.

“My Aunt Joy had breast cancer and her daughter and I signed up to walk in a walk/run in Wisconsin. We decided to start one up locally after that,” she said. “I want to help any way I can.

All proceeds will go to the Pink Pumpkin of Delta County. For more information go to their Facebook page.

“From all of the team members of the Pink Pumpkin of Delta County team, we would like to say how grateful we are to our community. Without them we couldn’t do what we do each year,” said Westerberg. “Rain or shine it’ll be a good time.”