More than two decades ago, a family lost a mother, a sister, a daughter and a friend, Christine Marie Theresa Antonino, to breast cancer.
Through the devastating loss, they found a purpose to honor Christine while helping others facing a similar battle.
Every October, the Antonino family of Murrells Inlet and Conway has proudly participated in the Tidelands Health In the Pink breast cancer awareness walk. They’ve walked in every In the Pink event since it started 20 years ago. It’s such a meaningful day for the family, they’ve saved every event T-shirt and transformed them into a quilt honoring Christine.
“We walk for her. Her wishes, her desires, her commitment,” said Christine’s mother, Linda Antonino. “We picked this walk to honor her.”
A purpose
Christine was diagnosed in early 2000 with HR- HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. Her doctors in Ohio gave her a prognosis that she wouldn’t live to see her 35th birthday. But Christine was determined to fight.
“Through her battle with cancer, she never asked, ‘Why me?’ Never,” said her father, Pat Antonino. “She just kept going.”
After three rounds of treatment, Christine passed away on Oct. 17, 2003, the day after she turned 35. She left behind not just memories, but a purpose.
A few years later, her parents, siblings and in-laws moved to South Carolina. And by chance it seemed, in a grocery store one day in 2005, Pat spotted a pamphlet for a new event: the first Tidelands Health In the Pink breast cancer awareness walk.
“I thought how great it was that there was going to be a dedicated walk here,” Pat said. “I didn’t care how big or small it would be.”
Team Christine
Organizers at Tidelands Health hoped for 200 walkers during that first In the Pink 20 years ago. Today, In the Pink has grown into the largest breast cancer awareness walk in the region, drawing more than 2,200 participants. This year’s walk is set for Saturday, Oct. 11, at Brookgreen Gardens. Register at tidelandshealth.org.
For the Antonino family, the walk became a way to continue what Christine had started. Team Christine was formed for a breast cancer awareness walk in Cleveland, Ohio, the year before she passed, and the family has carried that tradition forward every year since.
Even in the years when the official In the Pink walk was impacted by a hurricane or the COVID-19 pandemic, the family still gathered and walked anyway. Honoring Christine wasn’t just about an event. It was about a promise.
Every October, the walk – coincidentally held around Christine’s birthday – becomes a living tribute. It’s emotional. It’s healing. It’s powerful. And while Christine remains at the center of their purpose, it has grown to mean so much more.
“We continue to walk each year, not just for Chris, but to raise awareness and help those who may not be able to afford a mammogram,” said her brother, Patrick. “We just want to help so other families don’t have to go through what we did.”
Proceeds from In the Pink go to the Tidelands Health breast care fund, which supports screenings, equipment and care for patients.
“We know there are women in this area who don’t have resources,” Pat said. “We walk for that.”
Every team, every person at In the Pink walks for someone. A daughter, a sister, a friend, a neighbor. And every step taken is a step toward accessible breast health resources.
“If a mammogram can save one life,” said Christine’s sister, Cheryl Meyer, “It’s so worth a Saturday morning walk.”
