MIAMI (CBSMiami) — CBS4’s Marybel Rodriguez and other CBS4 personalities joined 21,000 in raising money for breast cancer research at the 17^th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday morning.

Preceding the race was a 25-minute ceremony dedicated to honoring breast cancer survivors.  At the end of the ceremony, the crowd walked to the start line and began the race at 8:30 a.m.

The race, in front Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, included a 5K walk and run, one-mile fun run and a tot run for kids age 2 to 7.

Prior to the race, CBS4′s Marybel Rodriguez spoke with several participants, who wore pink shirts, pink shorts, pink bras and anything else pink to support the cause:

“I walked this race for five years to support women, and this year it’s become a survivor myself,” 37-year-old Gira Medina, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, told CBS4.

Ivonne Rubio, a breast cancer survivor, had the highest praise for those who showed up to support them.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support friends and strangers who hug you and kiss you and say congratulations for another year,” Rubio said.

About one out of every eight women in the United States will one day be diagnosed with breast cancer. One in four of those will be younger than 50.

Everyone knows someone — a mother, a sister, a daughter, and in rare cases, a man — who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald presents the stories of three women fighting the horrific disease.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)