Inclement weather may have moved racing off the grass at the Belmont, but rain, wind and chilly temperatures did not break the stride of thousands of walkers raising money and awareness to fight cancer on Oct. 18.

NYSUT is a proud statewide sponsor of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for the eighth year, Vice President Maria Neira told thousands at the kickoff to the Albany walk. "The research and the programs to fight all kinds of cancers takes dollars.

NYSUT members are committed to raising $1 million again this year," Neira said. See more about the 21 Strides walks in the next New York Teacher. To see more photos from walks around the state, go to http://www.nysut.org/ and click on "flickr."

Photos from the Oct. 18 walks

• NYSUT officers Kathleen Donahue and Maria Neira carry the banner at Albany's Washington Park.

• Jamestown TA members celebrate at the start of their walk.

• Stephanie and Brendan Crane stand against the winds and rain that pelted walkers at the Jones Beach site. Brendan, a Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers member, and his wife have participated in Strides walks for several years. Brendan's father, a high school math teacher, died of colon cancer two years ago.

• White Plains TA members cheer through the rain at the walk in Manhattanville.