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Photos by Don Bowers
The soundside Kinnakeet Shores neighborhood was the most colorful spot on Hatteras Island on Saturday morning, October 7, thanks to the annual HICF Positively Pink 5K.
Celebrating its 20th year in 2023, the event is one of the most popular annual fundraisers for the local Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation (HICF).
Founded in the year 2000, the HICF provides assistance to local residents dealing with cancer to help with needs such as travel expenses, prescriptions, and medical supplies, as well as medical bills that are not covered by insurance.
Since its inception, the HICF has assisted hundreds of islanders with cancer and their families with grants in excess of $1,000,000.
Though the October event traditionally draws a pink-hued crowd, (due to its Breast Cancer Awareness Month timeframe), for the second year in a row, participants were asked to wear white in order to take full advantage of a new twist to the 5K – the addition of “color blast” stations.
Color stations were set up along the 3.1-mile trek through Kinnakeet Shores, where participants were literally blasted with a rainbow of colors. While the race started out as a blank canvas, it ended with a tie-dyed crowd that drew plenty of attention from onlookers and spectators.
Medals were given out to the overall top three finishers, as well as the top finishers for men and women in varying age groups.
The cooler temperatures and light breeze brought an extra dose of sunshine to the already bright and festive event, and more than one participant said they were already looking forward to next year. While most of the participants were from Hatteras Island, the race drew visiting participants from all over the East Coast who took advantage of the gorgeous fall weather to colorfully support a local cause.
More information on the HICF can be found online at https://hicf.org/.
This year’s overall winners are listed below.
HICF 5K Overall Winners:
Overall Men:
- 1st Place: Dennis Dominguez
- 2nd Place: Gerardo Dominguez
- 3rd Place: Pablo Marquez
Overall Women:
- 1st Place: Angela Gray
- 2nd Place: Gail Lacey
- 3rd Place: Trenya Mullinax
12 & Under:
- 1st Place: Christopher Marquez
- 2nd Place: Zac W.
