The 12th “Race for the Cure” held in Sarajevo on Sunday gathered more than 9,000 participants from 70 cities and towns throughout the country as part of an international initiative aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer and the need for regular checkups.

The organizer of the event was “Think pink – Together we are One” and money gathered from the event will be spent on free mammography tests in rural areas and post-operative first-aid packages for women.

The race is being organized in 150 cities around the world and about a million people usually .participate.

The regional director of “Think Pink – Together we are One”, Nela Hasic, told the FENA news agency that about 100 busses arrived in Sarajevo from Krajina, Brcko, Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and the entire Federation with a record number of participants.

“All of Bosnia and Herzegovina is here and the participants are now part of Europe because this is simultaneously happening in 15 European cities,” she said.

For those who have survived breast cancer, this day is more than just a gathering – it is a celebration of life, she said.

Last year the race enabled 1,300 free checkups.