BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- More than 400 women in Kern County are diagnosed with breast cancer and around 100 lose their battle each year. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women in the United States and that's why organizations like Links for Life exist...to help spread awareness and help women combat the deadly disease. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means pink is back in style. Pink food, pink shirts, pink ribbons lined the streets of Bakersfield Saturday. But more importantly than just looking pretty, pink has, of course, become the symbol of breast cancer awareness, meant to symbolize hope for those suffering from the disease. That's why so many donned every shade of the color for Links for Life's "Lace'n It Up Walk", a fundraiser for those fighting breast cancer. Stephanie Lynch, co-chair of Links for Life and a survivor herself, celebrated the event. "It's very, very exciting," said Lynch. "This will pay for a lot of mammograms and wigs." They walk, or run, for those fighting and those who survived. Especially for people like Sylvia Cariker, another breast cancer survivor. "34 years, going on 35," she celebrated. Cariker was diagnosed in 1989 and doctors told her she's been completely free since 1999. "At that point they said one in ten U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer," said Cariker. "So, I figure somewhere in the U.S., nine women owe me lunch," she joked. 2 arrested after Panama St. fatal shooting investigation: BPD Cariker said early detection saved her life. Doctors found a cancerous lump in the early stages thanks to a mammogram. Also on Saturday, the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center gave mammograms to members of Kern Family Health, for free. Most women become eligible for breast cancer screening once they turn 40, but those with a family history of the disease can get screened earlier. For some women, fear of the process may dissuade them from getting screened, but Susie Bell, patient navigation manager for CBCC, says it's simple. "You're in and out in about 15 minutes with very little discomfort," said Bell. "You come in, we do the procedure, you walk out." Like our survivors, Bell says early detection is paramount when it comes to curing the cancer. "It is one of the most prevalent cancers in the nation," said Bell. "However, if you get treated early, we can actually cure early-stage breast cancer. Stage three or four is much more difficult to treat than a stage zero, one or two." If cost is the reason you haven't been screened, CBCC may have your back on that end too. "We partner with all sorts of partners throughout Kern County to do free screenings and low-cost screenings," said Bell. "We never want availability or funds to be the reason someone doesn't get the help that they need." For those currently fighting the disease, some words of advice from survivors themselves were given today. "Don't do it alone, You do not have to be alone," said Cariker. "We have support groups, we have mentors that will hook up with you, one-on-one. It's so much better when we're together." "Don't give up," said Lynch "There's help out there." While treatments for the disease continue to improve year after year, early detection is still one of the best contributors for survival.