SWIB Women Join the Race for the Cure
Stern Opportunity 10/06/2009
by Sonia Olivio

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, current SWIB members and alumnae came together bright and early on the morning of September 13th to participated in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. Nearly 50 SWIB members took part in the event, which is one of the largest fundraisers for breast cancer held in New York City each year.

SWIB has organized a Race for the Cure team for the past three years. The event is the club's first of the fall semester and gives new and old SWIB members the opportunity to interact outside of Stern and support an amazing cause that is important to so many of its members. "The SGK race is a fabulous way to support an important cause affecting the lives of so many women and their families. As an MBA2 SWIB board member, it was great to meet new MBA1s dedicated to supporting women's issues," said second year, Caitlin Reidway.

The weather was perfect, which was a nice change from last year when it was around 95 degrees and extremely humid. The team split into runners and walkers, allowing each group to take their time to catch up with old friends and meet new SWIB members. Conversations varied from discussions about summer internships, classes, recruiting advice for MBA1's and discussions of personal experiences with family members and friends who have battled (or are battling) breast cancer.

SWIB team members were inspired by the energy of the 25,000 supporters (which included 1,601 survivors) that came together in Central Park for the race. "The spirit of all the supporters was incredibly motivational and we had a great group from SWIB. You could just feel how passionate everybody was about the cause, and they were truly excited to be there. If that doesn't keep you going for the entire 3+ miles, I don't know what would!" said second year, Elina Gorlenkova.

Following the race, SWIB members headed over to a nearby diner to have a casual brunch and discuss their experiences in the race. It was a great opportunity, especially for those who chose to run the race, to slow down and get to know one another in a more intimate setting.

Overall the event shows SWIB's dedication to supporting its members not only through events that are directly tied to issues at Stern such as recruiting and networking, but also by getting involved in causes outside of school that are important to its members. In addition to the entry fee each participant paid, the SWIB team raised nearly $2,000 for breast cancer, which continues to show SWIB's dedication to supporting this great cause. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is one of the most important events to breast cancer survivors and their friends and family of the year. As SWIB continues to dedicate itself to participating in this race each fall, it is quickly becoming one of the year's most important events to its members as well.