before the Phillies take off or the running of the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, a moving tradition will take place on the Churchill Downs racetrack.

It's called the Survivors Parade.

150 breast and ovarian Cancer Survivors parade around the track, decked out in pink for women's health.

Our Christine spoke to a breast cancer survivor and parade partner about the meaning behind the Pink Parade.

I'm so excited to introduce to you Andrea Long, a breast cancer survivor, and Heather Singleton from Norton Health Care Foundation, to talk about the Oaks Day Survivors Parade and Breast Cancer awareness.

So, Andrea, I want to start with you.

You're going to be in the parade this time for the first time, and tell us what that means to you.

I've been thinking about this day since the day I was diagnosed.

I was diagnosed on Oaks Day of 2024.

And I actually couldn't get Ahold of my OB office to to talk to someone because they were all at the parade.

But I was thinking about being a survivor from that moment and what it would feel like.

And that was always like the finish line for me.

So, like the past two years, I've.

I've done chemo and multiple surgeries, and this feels like it's kind of closing a chapter in my life.

And there's a lot of excitement about that.

And then a lot of pride, that I get to be a survivor.

I get to walk with my mom, who's also a survivor.

So I'm really looking forward to it.

And just being surrounded by amazing women who also fought for their life.

And they get to be survivors.

It's going to be a lot of emotions.

Yeah.

So you'll be crossing the finish line like literally and really emotionally to you as you bring this full circle.

Take us back to when you found out you had cancer.

How did you find out?

I felt a mass, and it just came out of nowhere.

Truly, it was.

It was super fast growing, and I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of breast cancer called triple negative.

I just assumed all breast cancer was the same.

I didn't realize there were different types and different treatments for different types.

So a lot of education on my part.

A lot of it took me, processing the diagnosis in stages.

But once I finally understood fully what I was diagnosed with and I could move forward with my treatment plan.

Which was at Norton.

Right?

It was at Norton.

And.

Yes.

And that was.

That was exciting.

I have to give Norton so many shout outs because, on Oaks day, when my doctor's office was closed.

Norton was open, and I called.

I called that day because, you know, when you get diagnosed or at least for me, I wanted to take action.

I didn't want to sit and wait around for the whole weekend wondering what the next steps were.

So I called the the Norton Breast.

Center.

And they were able to get me an appointment for the following week with, one of the doctors at Norton who ended up being, I mean, all the doctors in Norton have been amazing, but, yeah, they were there for me whenever I was so scared.

So that was nice.

Yeah, well, it's very appropriate then, Heather, that, Norton Cancer Institute, that they are a charitable, partner in this parade.

Exactly.

We've been partnering with Churchill Downs since 2017.

They asked us to be their charitable partner for the day, to help raise awareness around breast cancer.

And it's been such a huge opportunity for us because you know, 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and which is why it's so important for these women to remember to get their annual screenings and their annual mammograms.

And it gives us a platform that day to really be able to shout that message from the rooftops and make sure that women are aware so that we're able to help women like Andrea.

Yeah.

And that's one thing with Oaks Day, everybody's wearing pink.

You get the survivors a parade, and it does raise a lot of awareness.

Does, how how do you change that?

How do you turn that awareness into really helping women?

Right.

Well great question.

So Churchill Downs has committed to donating $50,000 each year that we've partnered with them, specifically for the breast health program at Norton Cancer Institute.

So all of all of the funds raised from that, in addition to donations we receive that day.

And things like that are are put back into that program to help with, you know, expressive therapies, behavioral therapies, to help our, our mobile prevention unit that travels to underserved neighborhoods in our community to help screen women that maybe don't have the access to come to one of our facilities to be screened, or maybe just don't think about it or are busy in their everyday lives.

So all of the funding that we get through programs and initiatives like this are funneled right back into the program so that we can help women.

Okay, wonderful.

And just a few seconds, we have left Andrea for people hearing your story or watching the survivor's parade there on Friday.

What is a message you want them to hear?

I think just advocating for yourself, and making sure that you are putting yourself first, like like she said, getting your mammograms and getting your checks.

And if you feel like something's off, trusting your gut and just really following that intuition.

Yeah.

Woman's intuition.

It's a powerful thing.

It really is.

Yeah.

Well, both of you, thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for sharing your story.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you.

And thank you, Christy.

This is the 18th year of the survivors parade.

That would do it for us tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Look forward to seeing you here on Friday.

It's Oaks Day in Louisville, and we will have a lot of great stories for you when you join us tomorrow night.

Take good care.