People Brave Rainy Weather to Paint the Park Pink

Despite the rainy weather, hundreds of people showed up to Paint the Park Pink Saturday (Oct. 5) at the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith.

"It's just a little rain," said Teresa Jones, who is a coordinator with Ozark's Susan G. Komen branch. "It's not going to stop us. This is nothing compared to what breast cancer survivors have endured through their treatments and battling their illness so we can be out here in the rain for a little bit."

With their pink outfits on and umbrellas in hand, families huddled together for a mile walk around the campus.

"Last year it was great pretty weather," said Patricia Brown, who was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago. "[This year it's] rainy weather, but at least it's not cold. When you're fighting cancer you have your sunshine days and you have your tough, tough, tough bad days. And you just roll with it. And you just can never, ever no matter what the weather, no matter the circumstance, ever let go of your joy."

For survivor Deborah Woodard, she said there's no where else she'd rather be.

"Being out here means everything to me because I'm so blessed to be a survivor," Woodard said. "To be able to stand here and even though it's raining when we go through chemotherapy and radiation, we do that through rain, sleet or snow so this is a beautiful day."

The event raises money for breast cancer research and education. 75 percent of proceeds from the event will stay in the River Valley and help provide women with mammograms, Jones said. The other 25 percent will be used for research in finding a cure.