5th annual Paint El Paseo Pink breast cancer walk

Friends and family, people of all ages, celebrated the 5th annual Paint El Paseo Pink breast cancer walk Saturday morning on El Paseo in Palm Desert.

Paint El Paseo Pink is the Desert Cancer Foundation's largest fundraiser, benefiting the Suzanne Jackson Breast Cancer Fund. The Fund, administered by the Desert Cancer Foundation, is named for the late LPGA tournament director, Suzanne Jackson, a part-time desert resident who was a victim of breast cancer.

This year alone, nearly 40 thousand women will die from breast cancer in the United States. One in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease.

The Desert Cancer Foundation hopes the event will motivate women to get screened and that it will help fund more breast cancer detection services here in the valley, and Grossi agrees.

"It's an awareness, what people need to do to examine themselves and to prevent this, and also join together to fight it," said Grossi.

When caught early, before it spreads beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. Right now, there are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

Peggy Bilous, the executive director of the Desert Cancer Foundation, says more than 100,000 dollars were raised from Saturday's breast cancer walk and the Desert Healthcare District promises to match every one of those dollars raised.