The Cincinnati affiliate of Susan G. Komen For the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer survivor advocacy organization, will be holding its 15th annual “Race for the Cure” at Great American Ballpark this weekend.

The regimen will consist of a 10K run, a 5K walk, and a 2K Family Fun walk. According to Race Director Traci Ervin, the race route will start near Great American Ballpark at the corner of Freedom Way and Race Street and proceed over the Taylor Southgate Bridge into Newport, Kentucky. From Newport, the route will come back into Cincinnati via the pedestrian-only Purple People Bridge and end at Yeatman’s Cove.

“The whole spirit is absolutely incredible,” Ervin said. “It’s just a sea of pink.”

Special activities will include a sponsor expo and giveaways, an interactive booth to increase breast cancer awareness, a special Kids for the Cure event where children can run on the field, and a Celebration of Hope awards ceremony for survivors.

“It’s basically a way for survivors to get recognized,” Ervin said. “Every year, they add a pink ribbon to their hats.”

Breast cancer survivors and any friends and relatives who wish to participate are encouraged to register online, but they can also register the morning of the event as well as during the race pre-party Friday afternoon at the Holy Grail Tavern, located across the street from ballpark.

When participants register online, they also have the option of making additional donations, the amounts coinciding with various milestones in the breast cancer fight. For instance, one can donate an additional $30 for the 30-year improvement in a woman’s chances of surviving early-stage breast cancer, $74 to commemorate the statistic citing that a woman dies from breast cancer every 74 seconds, or $150 to pay for a mammogram for a woman who can’t afford one.

According to Ervin, these additional donation options are extremely important.

“The registration fees pay for the race,” she said. “It pays for things like off-duty police officers coming down to close off and barricade the streets. The additional donations are what help fund mammograms and treatment programs.”

Indeed, the Greater Cincinnati affiliate of Susan G. Komen awarded a $1.2 million grant to local hospital and agencies last month to serve “underserved and uninsured women,” a grant that came courtesy of the previous year’s fundraising.

In the meantime, as much as Ervin admires the atmosphere of the Race for the Cure, she said it’s bittersweet.

“We see the hats with the increased number of ribbons, which means people are living longer,” she said. “But we’re still working toward that cure.”