Steven Jackson Helps Make St. Louis Race for the Cure Largest in the World

[RamsFan16]

Steven Jackson Helps Make St. Louis Race for the Cure Largest in the World
Thursday, June 15, 2006

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By Brett Grassmuck
Stlouisrams.com

Rams’ Running back Steven Jackson and his family helped make the 2006 St. Louis Susan G. Komen Foundation’s annual Race for the Cure the largest in the world as they served as chairs for the 8th annual event.

Jackson was joined by his mother, Brenda, his father, Steve and his sister Rhonda as they kicked off the St. Louis race which included over 64,000 participants and became the international organization’s largest race.

The Jackson family met and hugged breast cancer survivors and then headed to the stage where Steven addressed the crowd of survivors and told them about his grandfather, a three-time cancer survivor and inspiration to his family.

“The greatest day of my life was the day I was drafted by the St. Louis Rams,” Steven Jackson told the survivors. “But, I think I’m going to have to replace that with today.”

Steven and his family then participated in the race warm up, where they danced their way into the hearts of the St. Louis community.

After the race began, the Jackson family continued to pose for pictures and sign autographs for the survivors and race participants.

With over 64,000 participants, the St. Louis Race for the Cure became the biggest race of its kind in the world. In 2005, the race included over 60,000 participants and raised more than $2.2 million for breast cancer research and treatment.

The Race for the Cure is put on each year by the St. Louis affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Komen Foundation was started in 1982 by Nancy Brinker as a way for her to honor her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36.

The St. Louis affiliate was started in 1999 and aims to “eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease through the advancement of public awareness, education, screening, treatment and support.”

For more information contact the St. Louis affiliate of the Komen Foundation at (314) 721-2900 or affiliate@komenstlouisaffiliate.org.

[rams_fan81]

Wow! Thats a great thing to hear other than him doing this for a cancer organazation,which is a great thing and I'm not saying that the rams organization is more important than the cancer program in any way, but he probably recruited some new rams fans.

[RealRam]

You're absolutely right, 81.

This is truly a grand event, one obviously greater than the Rams organization and its players.

The nice equalizer is that the Rams can be an honest part of the effort to seek the solution for breast cancer, so dreadful in the lives of many families. My mother in law died from this illness 12 years ago. It is good to know that progress has been made although the journey is long and challenging.

Great to have our man SJ so visible in this cause. :up:

[Ramming Speed]

Good job, Steven. As a son of a cancer survivor, it's good to know there are caring folks out there like you making a difference.