The Kentucky Oaks is a great day for Louisville. What started in 1875 as a race for 3-year-old fillies has grown into one of the longest-running sporting events in the United States. The flower of the day is the stargazer lily, a large bloom with dark pink stripes and speckles. While this flower may have given a start to the "pink" theme of the Oaks, it has come to have a much deeper meaning.
Oaks Day honors women who have survived or are in treatment for breast or ovarian cancer. You'll see this year's 151 honorees walking the turf track in the Survivors Parade prior to the running of this year's Oaks race.
This day also is an opportunity to talk about prevention and early detection of these cancers that affect nearly 300,000 people a year in the United States. Breast cancer alone is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women. More than 133 women out of 100,000 women are expected to receive a new diagnosis of breast cancer in Kentucky this year, and 10 out of every 100,000 will get ovarian cancer.
Thankfully, high-profile events such as the Kentucky Oaks help call attention to these issues and raise funds critical to bringing down these statistics. In fact, Churchill Downs has donated more than $1 million to fund cancer screenings and care for underserved women.
Thankfully, breast cancer death rate has been on the decline since 1989. While there are constant innovations in cancer treatment, awareness and screenings have increased thanks to events such as the Kentucky Oaks — and the funding it raises.
If you're going to this year’s Oaks, enjoy your day. But also be sure to recognize the importance of the pink that you will wear. And know that just by being there, you are part of saving lives.
I'm Bill lamb, and that's my Point of View.
