LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Thirteen fillies stormed the racetrack Friday night for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks. Hours before that, 152 resilient women walked it.

This year marked the 18th annual Survivors Parade, a tradition that honors women who have fought or are currently fighting breast or ovarian cancer. Thousands of women are nominated to participate by their loved ones, and 152 of them are randomly chosen to walk the same track the fillies race during the Oaks.

"After you beat cancer, every day is just a huge blessing," said Dana Koenig, who walked in the parade.

Wearing shades of pink or teal — the colors for breast and ovarian cancer — each woman carried a lily and a sign marking how many years they have been a survivor. And most walked alongside a member of their support system.

IMAGES | 152 breast cancer survivors walk in the 18th annual Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade

Among them was Misty Dunn, a one-year survivor from Texas, who walked with her son, Dallas.

"It's incredible. I'm just happy to be here," Dunn said.

Family was a common thread among survivors. Lilly Grubbs walked alongside her grandson, Tyler Armstrong, who made a meaningful gesture for her when she was diagnosed in 2007.

"He said ‘grandma I’m gonna get my head shaved with you’," Grubbs said. "And that’s a bond that will never be broken."

Grubbs has been in remission for 18 1/2 years. Armstrong, who is now in his 20s, said it was very special to experience the parade with her.

"I think it’s a full circle moment for sure," Armstrong said. "Just being eight years old finding out that your grandmother has cancer, and now we’re back here, cancer free, and walking the track together."

Some survivors chose their best friends as their companions. Jill McKinney, who was diagnosed in 2024 and is now cancer-free, said sharing the moment with hers was important to her.

"To be here with my best friend, you couldn't get any more than that," McKinney said.

It was particularly meaningful for Jayne Miller, an ovarian cancer survivor who had the chance to walk with her best friend, Laura Harris — who also received a cancer diagnosis. The pair both entered their names and promised if one of them got chosen, they would take the other as their date.

"When this happened, we were determined to create something positive out of it," Miller said.

Another survivor, Sarah Colvin, reflected on just how emotional the experience can be. Colvin has worked in catering at Bellarmine University for nearly three decades and is known by students as "Nana." She walked with her best friend since eighth grade, Rhonda Biller.

"It was heartbreaking when I got the phone call," Biller said.

Colvin said the weight of her journey really set in when she stood on the track, surrounded by other survivors.

"There's no words. I haven't had words for this," Colvin said.

That's a sentiment shared by many of the survivors. Both Miller and Harris found it "very powerful" to stand among women just like them.

"We’re doing this for them just as much as we are for ourselves," Miller said.

The Survivors Parade is backed by several charitable organizations that help make the event happen every year, including the Norton Cancer Institute and Horses and Hope, among others.

To read the full list of participants and learn more about the parade, click here.

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