For the past 16 years the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) has held its Legacy Chase horse racing event at the Shawan Downs racecourse in Cockeysville, Maryland (USA) in a bid to raise awareness of cancer and funds for care to oncology patients and their families.
This year would mark an extraordinary occurrence, as participants at the event would gather to create the world's Longest awareness ribbon.
Measuring 7,953 feet and 1 inch long, the lengthy band was decorated with signatures and supportive messages for survivors and encouraging messages for those currently undergoing treatment.
In a beautiful display, cancer survivors and their attending families held the ribbon with staff and other volunteers.
They were all symbolically connected as they each helped to stretch the lavender ribbon across an area of the racecourse.
“It was easy to get volunteers because GBMC has such wonderful community support,” John Chessare, the president and CEO of the Baltimore-based medical centre, told press.
With great efforts to spread awareness for a worthy cause, it was a spectacular way to honour GBMC’s cancer patients who had received treatment at their centre, as well as those around the world.
