Pick n Pay's Women's Walks raise R1m for breast cancer awareness

"The event has just celebrated its third birthday, and it's tremendous to see how the South African public has embraced the walks since day one," said Malcolm Mycroft, General Manager of Marketing at Pick n Pay. "Whether we're in the big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town or smaller towns such as Hoedspruit and Knysna, the enthusiasm of the participants is always overwhelmingly positive, and we'd like to thank each and every one of the walkers for coming out over the past year - even when the weather was against them - to lend their support to this incredible cause."

Since its inception in October 2011, the Pick n Pay Women's Walks have become increasingly popular around the country. The walks aren't timed, but are fun 5km walks for family and friends, including men and children, to enjoy together.

The PinkDrive team is present at all Pick n Pay Women's Walks at the specially set up walk villages, where ambassadors from each region volunteer to talk about their experiences, providing potentially lifesaving information around the importance of breast cancer screening.

The PinkDrive currently operates three 'Pink' mobile breast-check units (two in Gauteng and one in the Western Cape) that are used to provide these much-needed services to women, free of charge. A stationary screening clinic, offering the same free services, was recently opened at Tshwane Railway Station.

Flto Adrian Naude, Suzanne Ackerman-Berman and Malcolm Mycroft, Pick n Pay; Noeleen Kotschan, PinkDrive; Wendy Ackerman and Raymond Ackerman, Founders of Pick n Pay.

Noelene Kotschan, Founder and CEO of PinkDrive, says she's in awe of the amazing partnership PinkDrive has enjoyed with Pick n Pay during 2014. "PinkDrive is ever so grateful for the R1 million raised from the 20 walks. Words can't do enough to express our gratitude to everyone from Pick n Pay for the all the time, effort and dedication they put into the events over the past year. We'd also like to thank the various partners for everything they do to make sure the walks take place; and of course a huge thank you must go to the thousands of walkers.

"This year alone we've reached 36,225 participants through the walks and I would like to encourage those of you who haven't joined a walk before to make this a New Year's resolution and help us double this number next year - every extra walker means we can do even more."