Strides of Joy 5K
Breast Health Walk & Wellness Fair
Celebrating Black Women, Breast Health, Patient Power, and Joy in Motion
Join Black Women Thriving East of the River in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Anacostia Park for an afternoon and evening of movement, wellness, resources, music, and joy.
Walk with us, show your support with a Strides of Joy T-shirt, or make an additional October gift to help unlock matching support from Ryan Homes.
Event Details
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Anacostia Park
3pm – 8pm
Walk With Us
Come for the walk or run, explore The Thrive Village, connect with health and wellness resources, take part in Patient Power activities, and stay for the DJ, dancing, and glowstick party.
Wear the Joy
Can’t make it to the walk? You can still show your support with an official Strides of Joy T-shirt.
Give This October
Make an additional gift to BWTEoTR this October and help unlock matching support from Ryan Homes.
Your October Gift Can Go Further
Ryan Homes has joined BWTEoTR’s October campaign with matching support.
Eligible October donations and contributions beyond event registration will help unlock additional funding for BWTEoTR’s work serving Black women East of the River.
A portion of proceeds from Strides of Joy T-shirt purchases may also count toward the match.
What to Expect at Strides of Joy
A Walk for Breast Health, Wellness, and Community Power
Strides of Joy is more than a 5K. It is a day for Black women, families, caregivers, survivors, and supporters to gather in one place and say clearly: We know breast health is not just about one appointment. It is about access, trust, transportation, follow-up, clear information, and being treated with dignity when we ask questions about our own bodies. This walk brings those pieces together through movement, wellness resources, community connection, and Patient Power. This is a day to honor our bodies, our stories, our families, and our right to be heard. Come walk with us as we celebrate breast health, community care, and the power Black women carry when we know what we deserve.
5K Walk Through Anacostia Park
Wellness Fair
Local organizations, wellness partners, vendors, and resource providers will be onsite to share information and support.
Wall of Rights Photo Backdrop
At the finish line, participants can reflect on which rights matter most to them, write words of encouragement, honor someone they are walking for, and take a photo to remember the day.
DJ and Dance Floor
After the walk, the field will open up for music, movement, and community celebration.
Map to Patient Power
Along the route, they can collect clue words connected to the Patient Bill of Rights and use them to reveal a hidden phrase. Participants who share the completed phrase at the raffle area will receive one bonus raffle entry.
Rights Along the Route
Trail markers along the walk will highlight key themes from the Patient Bill of Rights, reminding participants what dignity, respect, information, and support should look like in care.
Finisher Medals
Participants who complete the walk will receive a medal as a celebration of accomplishment, joy, and community pride.
Glowstick Party
As the evening settles in, we will close the event with a glowstick party that brings light, joy, and celebration to the finish of the day.
Breast Health Is Personal.
Patient Power Is Community Work.
Black women know what it means to carry families, careers, caregiving, grief, appointments, and unanswered questions all at once. We also know what it means to keep showing up. But when it comes to breast health, we should not have to fight to be believed, struggle to understand our options, or feel alone while navigating care. We deserve information that is clear. We deserve providers who listen. We deserve follow-up that does not fall through the cracks. We deserve care that sees the whole person.
Strides of Joy is our way of making that message visible.
We are walking for awareness.
what is patient power
Patient Power means walking into care with your voice intact.
It means knowing you have the right to ask questions. The right to understand what is being said. The right to bring someone with you. The right to be treated with respect. The right to say when something does not feel right.
For Black women, that kind of power matters.
At Strides of Joy, the Patient Bill of Rights will show up throughout the event through signs, activities, reflection moments, and community experiences. Not as fine print. Not as something tucked away. But as something we can see, say, claim, and carry with us.
Become a Partner
We welcome partners connected to breast health, cancer support, Patient Navigation, preventive care, mental health, fitness, nutrition, family support, local business, health equity, advocacy, wellness, and community celebration.
You Can Still Be Part of the Journey
Can’t make it to Anacostia Park on October 24?
Wear the joy with a Strides of Joy T-shirt, or make a Breast Cancer Awareness Month gift to BWTEoTR.
Donations and contributions beyond registration this October will be matched by Ryan Homes.