Approximately 1,200 participants helped make sure the 11th Run for Mom fund-raiser was every bit as significant as the first.

Runners, walkers and cyclists gathered, along with a variety of other methods of mobility, at Rotary Park Sunday for the annual lap around Whitehorse's Millennium Trail.

Even the weather co-operated and some last minute sunshine cleared up what looked like it was going to be a dreary day.

"The clouds parted and the sun came out and it was gorgeous for about an hour," said Val Pike, chair of the Run for Mom committee. "People were taking off their jackets and toque, it was awesome."

The first Yukon breast cancer run was organized back in 1997 by Tamara Goeppel and Donna Jones. The run was called CIBC Run for the Cure and brought in more than $40,000.

However, as a result of it being a national event, the majority of the funds left the territory to be used on researching projects across the country.

The money that remained, $18,000 in total, was used as a first deposit on a a mammogram machine purchased or the Whitehorse General Hospital in 2002.

Knowing the community support was there, an organizing committee, led by Goeppel and Jones, attempted another breast health awareness fund-raiser on Mothers Day 1999.

This was the inaugural Yukon Run for Mom and this time around all of the proceeds raised in the Yukon, stayed in the territory.

The most recent purchase by the Run for Mom committee was a new digital mammography unit for close to $700,000. The machine was purchased in the fall before being installed installed in the Medial Imaging Department of the Whitehorse General Hospital in January.

Pike said there are several reasons why the digital unit is more valued than the film model. Results from the digital mammogram are sent electronically to a radiologist in Edmonton, who would then be able to detect abnormalities right away, letting the patient know immediately, she said.

The older film model took around three weeks to get any results and in some cases a patient had to come back in for a second test.

"This way is much better for the patient," Pike said.

Digital mammography units also have the advantage of clearer images and uses less radiation.

Just a few weeks after it was purchased, the number of women having mammograms nearly doubled.

Pike said Run for Mom is looking at other components to go along with the digital mammogram.

Besides purchasing equipment, Run for Mom also sponsors the local Paddlers Abreast team that competes in the Yukon River Quest.

In 2008, it also sent two women to the breast cancer conference in Winnipeg, Pike said.

She said to thank everybody that came out on Sunday and making it a part of their Mother's Day celebration.

"It's really nice to see so many families here," Pike said.

Mark Wykes participated in Run for Mom for the first time on Sunday. Wykes chose to walk the around 4.2-km distance with his dog Maggie.

"We did great, we had a fun time," he said. "I would like to do it again next year."

Wykes, who has a sister-in-law fighting breast cancer, said it's encouraging Run for Mom spending the money raised on such an important piece of equipment, such as a digital mammogram.

Lauren Crooks walked the Millennium Trail with her 11-year-old daughter Jessica on Sunday, while her older daughter, Emily, ran it with her soccer team.

Crooks said she enjoys more than a few aspects of the Run for Mom fund-raiser.

"I like the social aspect, visiting with people, spending time with my kids," she said.

"It's a nice cause as well of course."

She said she was impressed with the digital mammogram purchase.

"Somebody said they had an exam and they had results within three hours, which is pretty important for that sort of thing."

Crooks said she has friends with breast cancer and was thinking about them during the walk.