WASHINGTON — Race for Hope DC, which is a 5K walk or run fundraiser for cancer research, is less than a week away.
At this year's event, to help runners keep their pace, an all-women group called Batala will be drumming along the route. And their performance is personal.
The group has lost two of its members to brain tumors. They say drumming has been a cathartic way of working through their grief -- something they're hoping will be true for the runners, too.
"Power and hope that power of the drum to have it carry them along and know that sound can push them forward in their battle and push families who lost loved ones ahead in their grief," Erika Lehman said.
The group plays samba reggae music from the Bahia region of Brazil.
According to the National Brain Tumor Society, the Race for Hope at D.C.'s Freedom Plaza pays for groundbreaking research and clinical trials to not only find a cure, but improve a survivor's quality of life.
The 5K takes place Sunday, May 5.
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