The third annual Walk to Bust Cancer will return to the region Oct. 14 to raise funds to help women in need gain access to screening and treatment for breast cancer.

Dr. David Weintritt, founder of the National Breast Center Foundation in Alexandria, joined with breast cancer survivors to organize the walk after the Vola Lawson Walk to Fight Breast Cancer was discontinued in 2014.

“Women and families in our community need our help,” Weintritt said. “We all know someone — a family member, neighbor, co-worker or friend — who has been touched by breast cancer. This is a global problem and we are committed to make a difference starting right here in our own community.”

Weintritt founded the National Breast Center Foundation to help provide screening, diagnosis, treatment and supportive services for underprivileged and uninsured/underinsured women in the community. This year’s walk will sponsor more than 50 participants from the Old Town-based Nueva Vida, a support network for Latinas with cancer and their families.

“Nueva Vida has been referring patients to the Foundation,” said executive director Martha Carucci. “We are providing complimentary registration for the Nueva Vida participants, and more than half are breast cancer survivors or patients.”

Last year’s walk raised more than $40,000 to provide breast cancer services and support to women in need.

“Women in our area have one of the highest rates of late stage breast cancer,” Weintritt said. “Something has to happen to address this crisis. If we can provide high quality screening and treatment services in order to detect breast cancer at earlier stages, we will save more lives and, ultimately, reduce healthcare costs.”

For more information or to register for the Walk to Bust Cancer, visit www.walktobustcancer.org.