ENTERPRISE The Amy Hafer Race for Awareness has been attracting competitive runners, recreational walkers, mothers with strollers and participants of all ages for the past five years to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer.

The sixth annual race will get underway at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 22, at Wallowa Memorial Hospital. The event includes a one mile walk, a 5k walk/run, and a 10k run. Last year there were 160 participants.

The race is named for Amy Hafer, a 1989 graduate of Wallowa High School, who had moved to Lewiston, Idaho, when her life was cut tragically short. After an 18-month battle with breast cancer, she passed away at age 38 in November 2007.

The Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation and Wallowa Memorial Hospital joined together to sponsor the first annual Amy Hafer Race for Awareness in 2008, and the event has been going strong ever since.

Were also doing something new this year, said foundation board member Saralyn Johnson, whose father Reid Johnson was an original board member of the foundation. Were encouraging companies and organizations to participate as a group, to involve more people and make it more fun. So far, Viridian Management of Enterprise has registered the most, with 20 participants.

Viridian also came on board as a private sponsor, along with Winding Waters Clinic and Legacy Ford of La Grande.

Pre-registration for the Amy Hafer Race ends Wednesday, June 19, but same-day registration is open the day of the event starting at 8 a.m. For more information visit www.wvhcf.org, or pick up a flyer and registration form at the front desk of Wallowa Memorial Hospital in Enterprise.

Hospital kitchen staff puts out a buffet of healthy snacks, including fresh fruit platters, spinach wraps, light muffins, and spa water, for participants. This year, sponsors include Legacy Ford in La Grande, Viridian Management in Enterprise, and Winding Waters Clinic in Enterprise.

The Amy Hafer Race for Awareness relies not only on a few generous sponsors, but also numerous volunteers who take registrations, stuff bags with maps and hand out water. The events key organizer is Michael Caine, who coordinates the route, manages the computer entries, and tracks winners for each age and event category. The event would not happen without Michael, said Foundation Director Stacy Green. Hes invaluable, and we cant thank him enough.