Senior hosts horseback-riding fundraiser for breast cancer awareness

Clad in a hot pink T-shirt with a light pink ribbon pinned to the front, senior Maya Kumar set up her trifold covered with breast cancer facts behind a table draped with a pink table cloth. Kumar was at “Breast Cancer Benefit Ride,” an event she single-handedly organized for horse riders on Aug. 1 in Calero County Park in Santa Clara. All proceeds went to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Kumar was inspired to put on the event by her mother’s battle with breast cancer. Her mother went into remission starting in October 2012.

The event combined Kumar’s personal cause with her passion for horse riding, which she has been competing in since she was 6.

In the event, around 40 people from around the Bay Area rode their horses through a course that Kumar had set up by riding her horse around the trails and marking the course with pink ribbons. Each rider paid an admission fee of $20 to support the cause.

“Most of [the participants] were women, and many of them actually had been through some type of cancer, breast cancer predominantly,” Kumar said.

Before the ride started, Kumar gave a presentation about breast cancer. Kumar then held a raffle with prizes including horse massages and paintings that cancer patients had donated.

The event raised $850. Small prizes that Kumar made, such as pens, buttons and magnets bearing the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon, were also awarded to those wearing the most pink clothing.

“Everyone who participated wanted me to organize the ride again next year,” Kumar said. “We educated everyone there about breast cancer and how you can stop it before it happens.”

Kumar attributes the large participant pool to word of mouth and online publicizing.

“I made flyers and posted them around the Bay Area and also created an online event on the National Horse Association website,” Kumar said.

Given the success of her first fundraiser, Kumar expects a larger attendance next year. She also wants to encourage more people to help the cause.

Her charitable efforts have only strengthened her bond with the sport, and Kumar hopes to continue her involvement with horseback riding in college.

Kumar believes that she was able to raise awareness of something that affected her personally.

“A lot of people wrote back about their experiences, telling me about how they were afflicted with breast cancer,” Kumar said. “I realized that combining something close to my heart with a good cause was a great way to raise awareness.”