Runway To the Cure puts survivors in the spotlight

By Chuck Cascio, author and former South Lakes teacher

Jillian Sanchez was one of the models at this year’s Runway To the Cure. Photo by Chuck Cascio

Bad weather did not stop the eighth annual Runway To the Cure fashion show Oct. 4. Organizers moved the event from the Reston Town Center Pavilion to the Hyatt Regency, where about 500 attendees heard the personal stories of 30 breast cancer survivors as they walked the stage wearing clothing provided by local shops Scout & Molly’s, Evereve, South Moon Under, Athleta and Potomac River Running.

Runway To the Cure (RTTC) is an all-volunteer nonprofit led by Board Chair Theresa Goudie, who said the event has grown into more than an annual fundraiser.

“Runway has become much more than a single-day fundraising event. It has become a community event that people look forward to, believe in and want to be part of,” she said.

In 2026, an estimated 321,910 women and 2,670 men in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

“Our models truly come from all walks of life and represent the many different experiences of breast cancer,” Goudie said. “Each survivor-model brings their own story, but when they come together on the stage, they represent something much larger: hope, strength and the reminder that no one has to face breast cancer alone.”

RTTC has provided funding to local organizations including Step Sisters, the Tigerlily Foundation, IIIB’s Foundation and the National Breast Center Foundation. National beneficiaries have included Susan G. Komen, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation and METAvivor. This year’s national research beneficiary is the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, while the VCS Cancer Foundation is the local beneficiary.

“Our history demonstrates how Runway’s impact has evolved,” Goudie said. “We are not simply raising money for one organization or one particular aspect of breast cancer. We are supporting a broader continuum,” from helping people facing treatment to funding research.

The runway also gives survivors an opportunity to speak openly about the experience of breast cancer. Their stories touched the audience, prompting cheers, applause and tears.

For some models, the disease brought changes in their hair, weight and appearance, as well as surgery and scars. But, as one survivor put it, “Breast cancer does not define me.”

Goudie said the models’ willingness to share their experiences is central to the event’s impact. Their courage, she said, helps other women see that they are not alone after being diagnosed.