Walk for a cure and eat cupcakes at the ballpark this Saturday

Why it matters: The Pink Cupcake Walk is expected to raise $25,000 for the local organization, which provides funds to families in Charlotte who are battling breast cancer.

• Truist has already pledged $10,000 to the organization, according to WBTV.

How it works: Participants will walk on and around Truist Field. Each time walkers round home plate, they’ll collect a cupcake donated by four local bakeries: Dulce Affairs, Kupkake Kouture, Dream Cupcakes and Sunshine’s Southern Kitchen.

• The walk starts at 10am on Oct. 2, before the Taste of Charlotte festival.

Background: WBTV anchor Molly Grantham organized the event, in part to give people an outdoors option with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure going virtual again this year.

• Those participating in the Komen virtual event can also participate in the Cupcake walk, but all of the funds raised on Saturday will go toward Go Jen Go.
• The Cupcake Walk is the latest evolution of #TeamMolly, the initiative she created in 2010 in honor of her mother, who ultimately passed away from metastatic breast cancer in 2017.

What they’re saying: “We didn’t really know what to expect with a first-time event, but we’re blown away by the support. It’s the biggest #TeamMolly ever,” Grantham says.

It’s a family affair for the Grantham family.

Hutch, Grantham’s six-year-old son, checks the fundraising totals every morning. Her 9-year-old daughter, Parker, curated the playlist for the event. “I feel confident that my mom is really proud of never forgetting the importance of this cause and helping teach my kids about it,” Grantham says.

Flashback: In years past, Grantham and WBTV have partnered with Susan G. Komen for one of Charlotte’s biggest 5K races. Last year, the Komen walk went virtual because of the pandemic; this year, Komen is doing the same.

• But Grantham says “we really wanted to celebrate survivors and thrives in person in a safe way, outdoors.” So the Pink Cupcake Walk was born. This year, WBTV is partnering with The Knights Baseball team, Taste of Charlotte, and Go Jen Go.

“You’re still helping breast cancer fighters, just at a different event,” said Grantham.

By the numbers: 670 people (and counting) have signed up for #TeamMolly so far. Grantham says they’re expecting more than 1,100 people to be registered for the event by Saturday morning.

Editor’s note: Prior to working at Axios Charlotte, Laura was a producer at WBTV where she worked with Grantham.