Close to 35,000 people were present to raise money and awareness for breast cancer at the 16th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for Cure on Sunday.

The event took place at Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh and involved a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) run or walk and also a one-mile fast walk.

The race was preceded by a parade and tribute to the 3,000 breast cancer survivors present and also for the ones beaten down by the disease.

"Our message to everyone who is fighting this disease is simple: we can win this battle," said Elaine I. Grobman, executive director of the Philadelphia affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, as quoted by the Philadelphia Inquire.

All participants were given pink quilts before the run and hope and positivity were present at every step.

On a national level, the disease represents the second leading cause of cancer death for women. The first cause is lung cancer. The cancer society presented some rather troubling statistics about this year’s heath expectations: apparently, more than 180,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year and close to 40,000 will die from it.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was founded by Nancy Brinker in 1982, as a tribute for her 36-year-old sister, killed by the disease.

Today, there are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.