Registration Down For Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth Race For The Cure

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Crews have been busy preparing at Ridgmar Mall.

The Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth Race for the Cure got underway Saturday morning.

The stage was set and the tents were up Friday, but registration numbers were still down.

Just a month ago registration numbers were down more than 40 percent, but that number is now 18 percent.

At the center of the controversy which may have impacted this year's race numbers: Komen planned on stopping funding to Planned Parenthood, but then reversed that decision following bouts of criticism.

"Everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer it doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care what political race you are, it affects everyone," says Tracy Reed who is the race chair with the Komen Greater Fort Worth Race for the Cure.

If registration numbers stay at 18 percent the Fort Worth Affiliate could be down $200,000 this year and that could mean 1,800 women not getting a free or low cost mammogram.

"It could affect a lot of under-insured and uninsured woman. They need our help; they don't care about politics," Reed says.

Kayla Wharton is putting politics aside.

"My mom is a two time breast cancer survivor," says Wharton, who has made breast cancer awareness her platform.

The Mrs. Texas just found out one of her close pageant sisters is battling breast cancer too, "It's devastating watching them go through everything."

"I'm still going there and will support it," says Wharton. She plans on taking part in the 5K. "We still need to fund money to find a cure for breast cancer, because there are so many woman that are diagnosed with breast cancer and so any woman that are not able to fulfill treatment and they'll quite taking their medicine."

Komen Greater Fort Worth has raised more than $20 million for breast cancer treatment, prevention and research.

The affiliate in Tarrant County was started by Rozanne Rosenthal in honor of her close friend and three time breast-cancer-survivor Joan Katz.