MOBILE, Ala. — The American Cancer Society is reimagining one of Mobile’s most familiar fall fundraisers for the pandemic era, hosting a drive-thru celebration for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 31, at Battleship Memorial Park. The event gets underway at 8 a.m., with participants encouraged to stay in their vehicles as they take part in the morning’s festivities.
Veteran local broadcaster Rose Ann Haven will serve as emcee for the celebration, which swaps the traditional walk format for a contact-free experience along the Mobile Bay waterfront.
Pirates, pink and decorated cars
Organizers have given this year’s edition a playful theme: “Protect the Chest,” complete with pirate-themed costumes in honor of the battleship setting. Attendees can also enter a car-decorating contest, turning dashboards, hoods and windows into rolling tributes to breast cancer fighters, survivors and thrivers.
Fundraising continues through October
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s signature breast cancer awareness campaign, raising money for research, patient support programs and free educational resources. The society notes that even in a year without a traditional walk, dollars raised locally stay at work across the Gulf Coast — funding rides to treatment, a 24/7 cancer helpline and lodging for patients who must travel for care.
Participants who have not yet donated can still contribute online through the end of October. Battleship Memorial Park, home of the USS Alabama, sits on Mobile Bay just off Battleship Parkway and offers ample space for a safely distanced, stay-in-your-car event.