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RailRiders, Race for the Cure react to cancellations

Newswatch 16 spoke with the RailRiders president and the director of Susan G. Komen of Greater PA.

SCRANTON, Pa. — No peanuts, no Crackerjack, and no going out to the ol' ballgame this year. 

Major League Baseball announced it will not be providing Minor League teams with players for the 2020 season. 

John Adams, president of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, says he knew this was coming for the last month or so.

"You could just see the writing on the wall, with the phases, even when you go green, you can't have more than 250 people. So we kind of knew things weren't looking good and really started to plan for there not being a season."

Adams says at least they now have closure and can move on to thinking about next year. 

But still, no season means no profits. It's a major blow financially. 

"A lot of our planning since things started happening all the way back in March has been 'what happens if?'" Adams said.

Of course, that "what if" becomes "what now?" 

Another organization in Lackawanna County faces the same struggle.  The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, scheduled for the end of September, will now be held virtually.

It's the nonprofit's biggest annual fundraiser.

"Since this is the 30th Race for the Cure, a big milestone we are achieving,  of course, it was like letting the air out of your favorite balloon," said Dolly Woody, director of Susan G. Komen of Greater Pennsylvania.

Woody says just because the race is taking a different turn this year, doesn't mean her efforts to raise breast cancer awareness stop.

She will still decorate the courthouse with pink bows like she does every year, and plans to come down to Courthouse Square on the day of the race to show the survivors and patients that the organization is still fighting for them. 

"Breast cancer doesn't get canceled. There's no holiday; there's no break. And maybe it's important more than ever for people to really pause and get behind this cause," said Woody.

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