Hundreds of walkers took to the streets of Hamilton last night to raise money to combat breast cancer.

More than 1,500 people marched the 3K and 5K 12th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Walk to help fund new digital screening equipment at the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre.

Dressed in lavender t-shirts, they made their way from Barr's Bay Park along Woodlands Road and around the rear of the city, returning via Burnaby Street and Front Street.

Individual walkers were joined by families and teams from the business community, while several schools also took part by raising pledge funds.

At the end of the walk, breast cancer survivors took to the stage to tell of their own personal stories of how cancer has affected their lives. The pink-t-shirt clad women also encouraged each woman present to have an annual mammogram.

Pauline Girling, marketing and fundraising director of the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, said: "It was a powerful message and it was wonderful to see a group of proud women who have been through so much, standing together and celebrating life.

"For the first time this year we celebrated our breast cancer survivors by asking them to participate in the closing ceremony. It was quite a moving occasion."

Mrs. Girling says the money raised from the event will help pay for new generators needed to support the Centre's new digital breast cancer screening equipment. The equipment was installed in March but the Centre needs to raise the final $250,000 of the $1.5 million in costs by the end of the year.

"We have another nine events planned for this month and so I think we will achieve this," said Mrs. Girling.