In February 2014, Tammy Tann was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. Three months later, it had spread, and she began her fight against the stage four cancer that had moved to her spine.
“I had just started radiation when I ran Run for the Ta Tas last year,” she said. “No one in my family has had breast cancer. It was a complete shock to me.”
Tann’s battle with cancer inspired her to start exercising to lift her spirits, so she took up running.
Her spirits were lifted even higher last Saturday, when the 38-year-old placed first in her race category for breast cancer survivors during the Run for the Ta Tas 5K breast cancer fundraiser run at Mayfaire.
Tann is now cancer free. Her advice to other breast cancer patients is, “Keep your head up and always stay positive.”
This year, the Run for the Ta Tas, scheduled for Oct. 3, was postponed a week because of the rain from Hurricane Joaquin, and to avoid a conflict, combined the race with the annual Son Run that takes place in Wrightsville Beach.
Seventy-one-year-old Nancy Faye Craig has been running the Son Run 5K since 1990. Craig finished the race with a time of 31:42 and placed first in her age bracket. To train, Craig runs the John Nesbitt Loop each morning and runs three miles on Wrightsville Beach every Saturday.
Craig was among more than 1,300 runners, from novices to seasoned athletes, to complete the race.
Hugh Crews was the race’s first finisher at 16:04. Brittany Perkins was the first female to cross the finish line at 17:33.
Seven-year-old Sawyer Harrison was among the race’s youngest competitors with a time of 23:56. Seventy-five-year-old Don Williamson crossed the finish line at 39:44.
Many participants chose to run in teams. Hugh’s Crew was the fastest team, and El Cerro Grande restaurant had the largest team with 86 runners.
The fastest three runners in each age bracket received an Apple Annie’s pie.
In addition to the races, the sidewalk in front of Regal Mayfaire Stadium 16 hosted children’s activities like hula hooping and face painting while vendors sold snacks and desserts. All runners had access to complimentary massages shortly after crossing the finish line.
The Run for the Ta Tas supports three nonprofit organizations that help cancer patients: Pink Ribbon Project, Love is Bald and Pretty in Pink.
The Son Run, organized by Wrightsville United Methodist Church, also funds three nonprofits: Methodist Home for Children, A Safe Place, an organization that helps human traffic victims, and Carousel Center, which provides a safe environment for abused or neglected children. Craig is on the church’s Son Run planning committee. The Son Run was planned by WUMC members Kathleen and Jim Barber. The 2014 event raised $9,000.
email [email protected]
