WMBD/WYZZ-TV—PEORIA--The intersection of Glen and University Street was a sea of pink Saturday morning.

This year's Race for the Cure kicked off with warm-up, dancing and commemorating lives lost and re-claimed.

For 15-year breast cancer survivor Marlene Ross and her daughter Donna, also a survivor, the Race is an annual honor.

“Even though you have to cut your hair and go through chemo, you can fight this and you can beat it, because I'm here to show it and so is my mom,” smiled Donna Ross.

For others, like two-year survivor Peggy Land, the event is a source of power.

“I'm empowered to go on and that I’m going to make it and i hope and pray for everyone else they're going to make it,” said Land.

When the warriors in pink reflect on how the disease has touched them, they pull nothing but positive effects from the life-threatening disease.

“It's something that's in your mind almost everyday, you know…it's just i know it increased my compassion for people,” nodded Land.

Even survivors like Bradley University President JoAnne Glasser, who shared her experience publicly to help inspire others, agrees.

“I'm happy to be number 520 a proud cancer survivor…cancer touches eveeybody it doesn't discriminate it affects anybody and anytime.”

A fact that leads these women to march in hope and certainty that each step they take is bringing them that much closer to a cure.

“I hope and pray that they will find a cure for all the people that come after me,” said 14-year survivor Carol Wells.

 This year’s Race attracted nearly 20-thousand people to central Peoria. So far  donors have raised more than $120,000.