- March 12, 2025
Lisa Nolan of Palm Coast wears pink boxing gloves in honor of her mother, Lorraine Nolan, who is five years in beating pancreatic cancer, at the Bold Ladies in Business of Flagler County booth at the Pink on Parade 5K. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Pam and Steve Bolter with Tula, "Queen of the Sofa," who won Most Original pet costume. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Destiny Smith's dog, Meisha, was one of two Pinkest Pet winners. Meisha was adopted from SMART (Saving Missing Animals Response Team). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Race winner Paolo Pais and Kathryn Garcia, who finished 17th overall. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Runners get ready for the wet start of the Pink on Parade 5K on Oct. 6 at AdventHealth Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Pink on Parade 5K winner Paolo Pais congratulates other runners as they finish the race. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Flagler Palm Coast Starlets performed a dance before the race. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rose Sonsky-Duffy, AdventHealth Palm Coast breast cancer nurse navigator; Claudia Martinez, radiation therapist; Jose Suarez, manager of radiation oncology; and Shawn Rhoton, director of oncology operations, stand by the victory bell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
General surgeon Steven Bower, who placed first in the male 55-58 age group, with sons Josh and Caleb Bower, who placed first and second in the male 20-24 age group. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Alina Perry-Smith, who has been cancer-free for 11 years, and Heather Turdo. They gave out medals to cancer survivors at their Bold Ladies in Business of Flagler County booth. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Paulo Pais won the Pink on Parade 5K in 20 minutes, 34 seconds. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Male age 16-19 winners Austin Cochran (left), ninth overall first in age group; and Moses Silveira, 11th overall, second in age group. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Christine Rowe (left), a survivor of breast cancer and multiple myeloma, with Luiza Silveira, who walked the 5K for Rowe, her "church sister." Photo by Brent Woronoff
Lisa Garcia, who won the 45-49 age group, poses in front of the pink Flagler County Fire Rescue truck. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Male 13-15 age group winners included Brayden Murray (right), who was third overall and first in his age group; Jacob Konze (center), seventh overall and second in the age group; and Paolo Pareira (left), eighth overall and third in the age group. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Pink on Parade 5K announcer Richard Haas is the treasurer on the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation's Board of Directors and also volunteers at the Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Zoey, with Alicia, won Best Pet Costume. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Tracy Jones (center) with Odin, one of two Pinkest Pet winners. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Stephanie Lizotte (left), son Cameron Lizotte, Sienna Gordon-Lloyd and Bear, an Australian shepherd, participated in the pet-friendly 1-mile Fun Walk. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jessica Porter and Chichi with Vanessa Lorenz, who placed second in the female 25-29 age group in the Pink on Parade 5K. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Due to heavy rains that pounded Flagler County on Sunday morning, Oct. 6, participation in the Pink on Parade 5K at the AdventHealth Palm Coast campus was limited to the die-hards.
That included nearly 300 runners who sloshed all the way through the 3.1-mile race plus those who participated in the 1-mile pet-friendly fun walk and a (pink) army of supporters and volunteers, none of whom let the intermittent rains dampen their enthusiasm.
John Subers, the director of the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation, estimated the event raised about $20,000, all of which will stay in Flagler County to help people get early detection screenings, cancer-related education, materials and cancer diagnostic testing. Patients are referred through the Flagler County Free Clinic, Subers said.
Subers said with the money raised by the Pink on Parade event in addition to the month-long Pink Army campaign that raised funds through various community events, “we hope to raise about $60,000 this month.”
This year, the fund raisers also helped AdventHealth purchase a “Celebration Bell” as well as a pink golf cart, both of which will be used at the hospital’s new Freytag Cancer Center.
Radiation oncology is scheduled to be moved into the Freytag center next month with a grand opening of the new building planned for January.
The Celebration Bell chimed for the first time before the start of the 5K race with about 15 cancer-free survivors pulling the cord.
“That was a sweet sound of all those rings out of the lineup for the “Survivors’ Strut,” said Shawn Rhoton, AdventHealth’s director of oncology.
Breast cancer survivor Carla Cline, the co-founder of Flagler Beach All Stars, was the official starter of the race. Twenty minutes and 34 seconds after Cline signaled the start, Paulo Pais, 52, of Palm Coast, was the first to cross the finish line.
“I started running three years and 100 pounds ago,” said Pais, who said he only competes in charity runs.
Pais congratulated a number of the runners who followed him.
“Everybody put in a good effort,” he said. “Just showing up for a good cause is good enough.”
Mallory Kennedy of Ormond Beach finished second. Brayden Murray, 13, finished third overall. Murray had run in a 3K race in Lake City the day before with his Imagine School at Town Center team. Matanzas math teacher Lee Winfree, the 2023 Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year, was fourth; and Luke Williams of Flagler Beach was fifth.
Kathryn Diaz of Ocala, the second female to finish the race behind Kennedy, ran her second of three Pink on Parade 5K’s. She also ran in the one in Leesburg two weeks ago and plans to run in the one in Groveland on Oct. 20.
Prizes were given out to the top three finishers in 17 age groups each for males and females. Prizes for pets who showed off the pinkest of costumes were also presented.
Many runners ran in honor of a loved one who is a cancer survivor.
“I ran for my mom,” said 18-year-old Austin Cochran. Mary Ann Cochran is in her 27th year as a breast cancer survivor.
Subers said despite the rains, the event was always a go.
“We knew we had a lot of supporters. It was a great turnout for a great cause,” he said.
For 5K results, go to https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/5085#resultSetId-496764;perpage:100
