The very personal issue of cancer brought Harry Belafonte to Boston for a very public appearance for the Jimmy Fund Walk.
Belafonte, 76, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer eight years ago and beat back the disease with surgery and treatment, came to greet walkers and talk about cancer at Sunday's event.
Thousands of people came out for the walk, which followed the Boston Marathon from Hopkinton to Boston's Copley Square, where Belafonte greeted walkers as they crossed the finish line.
Belafonte said he's living proof there is "life after detection."
"The more of us who have some platform who can step forward to speak about it candidly could take some of the sting out of the stigma," the singer said.
The Jimmy Fund supports Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.