This year’s annual “Breath of Hope” walk was dedicated to Craig Blower, the Chief Operating Officer at Balboa Park’s Reuben H. Fleet Science Center for more than 15 years.

Blower passed away two weeks ago from lung cancer.

Hundreds of people came out to Cancer Survivors Park at Spanish Landing for UC San Diego's annual 5K, which helps raise money for lung cancer research and supports people living with the disease.

Every year the "Breath of Hope" walk funds at least one clinical trial at UCSD's Moore's Cancer Center.

"This is my mom's legacy,” Rebeca Enriquez, the "Breath of Hope" Chair told NBC 7. “This is what I get to be a part of to honor her every year, her doctors, her nurses, the people who supported us and brought us chemo dinners, the people who gave us a community.”

Eight years ago Enriquez, along with her mother Maria and several other patients, started the walk. Maria Enriquez, who never smoked, passed away in 2013. 

Blower, who was diagnosed in 2013, kept an online blog of his journey through the disease. He often used humor to deal with the diagnosis with posts such as “To Benign or Not to Benign: No Longer the Question,” and another “Can a Mole Get a Sunburn?”

“I have two options: focus on the positive or the negative. The negative doesn’t do me or anybody else any good, so I’d rather stay on the positive side as much as possible and hope that’s forever,” said Blower in an interview with NBC 7 two years ago.

Blower, who never smoked a day in his life, lived in Scripps Ranch and volunteered every Wednesday at Rady Children's Hospital for 25 years.

He will be remembered Sunday at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park.

More than a thousand people are expected to attend the ceremony.

NBC 7 was the exclusive sponsor of the “Walk of Hope.”

The explosion of cases of birth defects caused by Zika virus may be the "tip of the iceberg," experts said Sunday.

Many cases have probably been missed because babies looked normal when they were born, NBC News reported. But hidden birth defects are almost certain to turn up as the babies grow.

"The microcephaly and other birth defects we have been seeing could be the tip of the iceberg," Dr. Sonja Rasmussen of the CDC said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore. Brazil has confirmed 2,844 cases of Zika in pregnant women.

But there is some good news coming out of the early observations of the yearlong epidemic in Brazil: Children are rarely infected with Zika.

Facing a large delegate deficit, tough odds and just 10 remaining state contests, Senator Bernie Sanders made it clear Sunday that he intends to fight on to become the Democratic presidential nominee, NBC News reports.

Sanders' stated path relies on primary opponent Hillary Clinton not reaching a majority of pledged delegates and on superdelegates' switching their allegiances.

"It is virtually impossible for Secretary Clinton to reach a majority of convention delegates by June 14 with pledged delegates alone," Sanders, a senator from Vermont, said at a news conference at the National Press Club, indicating he would fight to persuade superdelegates to flip their support.

"In other words, the convention will be a contested contest," he said of the Democratic National Convention to take place in Philadelphia in July.

Joan Klinke waved the American flag for her 97-year-old husband before his flight landed at the San Diego Airport Sunday.

Hundreds of family and friends waited for 76, mostly World War II, veterans on the Honor Flight. The vets returned from Washington, DC after visiting the WWII Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, Arlington Cemetery and other memorials with Honor Flight San Diego, a non-profit branch of the nationwide Honor Flight Network.

Klinke, festively sporting two American flags on her head, has been married to her former WWII pilot for 74 years.

“Our mom followed him through all the basic training and it’s just a beautiful story of love,” one of Klinke’s daughters said.

Their father, Ray, was shot down over a German prison camp and held there as a prisoner of war, his other daughter explained.

“The day my dad was shot down was the day she came home with my brother, the one that [accompanied their father] on the trip,” her daughter said.

“Whatever they say is true,” Klinke laughed.

Sharon Kocaya and her sister Jane Muntz accompanied their 92-year-old father who served in the Army in the Pacific during WWII on the cross-country trip.

“The experience is something we wish everyone could experience,” Muntz said. “It’s amazing to be with all these seniors that have had such experiences that we will never know.”

Private First Class Adam Ballard also waited for his father who served in the Navy in the Vietnam War. “He received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1970 from President Nixon after he fearlessly threw himself upon a lethal hand grenade to save Marines,” Ballard said. “Fortunately for him the hand grenade didn’t go off until after he’d thrown it away.

Ballard said his father is one of the reasons he joined the Marine Corps himself.

Fred Warner served in the Navy in Guadalcanal.

“I heard about this Honor Flight, and they called me and they treated me like a king. That’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen. It was a wonderful weekend I enjoyed it. ..I cannot believe this crowd. There was a crowd in Washington, DC that couldn’t compare with this crowd. I so appreciate it. All my girls are here, my daughter,” Warner said getting emotional. “It means the whole world to me. I thought everybody forgot about us World War II veterans. Not many of us left.”

Retired U.S. Navy Cpt. E. Royce Williams will never forget November 18, 1952.

“Here came four of them from the front side all firing and the others were coming around from the other side…We came in head on,” Williams remembered. “I saw bullets go over me and under me then over me… So the fight went on and on and on.”

Williams, who fought in the Korean War, single-handedly shot down four Russian fighters – a record-breaking feat never recognized or even known until recently.

That’s because Williams’ achievement was kept 'top secret' for more than 50 years.

“I didn't tell anyone, including my wife and my brother who’s a naval aviator. No one,” Williams said. “I had a meeting with President Eisenhower and I didn’t even talk about that.”

The weather was bad that day with low clouds, heavy wind and snow, but that didn’t keep Williams from doing his duty.

In his F9F-5 Panther Williams took on seven superior MiG-15s in a fierce dogfight lasting roughly 35 minutes.

“When I take into account the level capability of the airplane it was sort of like, God giving David a task of Goliath – only I had seven Goliaths.”

“The aviation historians, the knowledgeable ones, will tell you without a blemish that this event by Royce was unmatched in the Korean War, was unmatched in the Vietnam War, unmatched ever since then. It stands alone all by itself as a really amazing situation,” Rear Admiral Doniphan B. Shelton (Ret.) said. “He was never recognized properly for what he did on this one day…We hope…he will be properly recognized sometime soon.”

Last year Shelton initiated the request to have Williams’ achievement re-reviewed through Congressman Duncan Hunter's office along with the endorsements of two four star-admirals, Hays and Hayward.

“There’s nothing wrong with the Silver Star that they gave him, believe me, that’s a wonderful award, but it’s not what he earned,” Shelton explained.

Shelton said if the proper record was known from the beginning Williams would have received the Navy Cross or Medal of Honor.

“I am the only person to have ever shot down four jets in one mission...and on my first mission at that...so I don't know, maybe that qualifies,” Williams said about the possibility of a medal. “People say thank you for your service, I say thank you for letting me serve.”

Now, Williams, who has been dubbed ‘the forgotten hero of the forgotten war’, may just be a little closer to being remembered.

Supporters of Williams and his story are creating a nationwide campaign to gather 100,000 signatures for a petition to demand a re-review for recognition.

They are launching the petition on Saturday May 14th at the San Diego Ride for Vets.

All Interstate 8 East lanes have reopened following a fiery eaely morning rollover crash that left one dead, authorities said. 

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials combed through more than 300 yards of a crash scene following the crash, which left miles of backed up traffic on I-8 East. 

The crash happened early Sunday morning at approximately 4:46 a.m. when a BMW hit the center divide near Waring Road, rolling across several lanes of the highway near the College Area, CHP officials said. 

As the car flipped across the highway, the driver was ejected and killed, officials said. The driver has not yet been identified. 

The impact set the car on fire, and a charred overturned BMW sat in the middle lanes of I-8 East as CHP authorities combed trhough the scene. 

A truck then hit the car, prompting another truck to swerve out of the way and hit the center divide. One of the truck drivers was transported to the hospital, complaining of pain. 

The crash is under investigation. An official on scene told NBC 7 cars were rerouted near Waring Road to a detour. 

"We’re gathering all our evidence," said the sergeant in charge at the scene. "We've got a scene that’s about 300 yards long at this point."

All lanes of traffic on I-8 E were closed for nearly eight hours Sunday morning. 

CHP authorities are investigating whether the driver of the BMW was driving under the influence. One of the truck drivers is also suspected of driving under the influence. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Hillary Clinton last week pledged that, if elected, she would appoint a presidential cabinet in which at least half of the members are women, a move that would profoundly shift the look of the people who govern America, according to NBC News.

Clinton, in an interview on Monday with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, said, "I am going to have a cabinet that looks like America, and 50 percent of America is women, right?" 

Only 30 women have ever held Cabinet posts. Both George W. Bush and Barack Obama appointed a number of women to key posts, but women held just four of the 16 official Cabinet posts during most of their tenures. Clinton is pledging to double that number.

"No hint of quotas or numeric targets — other than 'more than my predecessor' — has ever been part of cabinet head discussions before," said Heather Hurlburt, who served as a senior adviser at the State Department and National Security Council from 1995-2001. "So it's an enormous deal."

A freon leak at a Chula Vista Costco has sickened multiple people and closed the store for the rest of the day, authorities said.

The leak happened at 3:50 p.m. Sunday at the Costco at 895 E. H Street in Chula Vista, San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD) officials and Chula Police Police (CVPV) said. 

CVPD said it appears someone was working on a forklift inside the store and hit a refrigerator pipe, causing a Hazmat situation. 

Seven employees were evaluated and four people were hospitalized. 

The store will be closed the rest of the day. 

No other information was immediately available.

NBC 7 San Diego has a crew heading to the scene. Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

An Escondido teen who fell more than 60 feet down a mountain in Arizona has died, a family statement said

Makayla Castro, 18, suffered a head injury and several broken bones when she fell while rock climbing April 20.

"We want to thank you all for loving, supporting and praying over Makayla," the family statement read. "She fought so hard, but her injuries were just too much for her to overcome."

The Grand Canyon University student was in a medically-induced coma at a hospital in Arizona for several days before she succumbed to her injuries.

Her parents, Allison and Larry Castro, remember her in the statement.

"Makayla was the most amazing daughter, who always did the right thing and she was always mindful of being a good person no matter the circumstance," the statement read.

Her family said they find comfort knowing she is in heaven, and miss their "perfect, sweet" daughter, sister, niece, and best friend. 

"She was our shining light who shined brighter then I ever thought was possible and most importantly, anyone that ever met her knew she loved the Lord," the statement read.

Her family said Makayla helped make them better people and showed them how to live life to the fullest.

They say their family is heartbroken over the loss. 

"She is the best person I have ever met. It was purely a gift from God that I got to be her mother for 18 years and I am so thankful for that, however, there is so much pain because I didn't just lose my perfect, sweet daughter, I lost my best friend," according to the statement.

The bodies of Alex Lowe, considered the top mountain climber in the world during the 1990s, and his cameraman have been found in a melting glacier in Tibet 16 years after they were buried in an avalanche, NBC New reported. 

Lowe, 40, and cameraman David Bridges, 29, were part of an expedition that set out to film a documentary series for NBC Sports when they were buried under cascades of snow on the 26,335-foot-tall Shishapangma mountain — the 14th-highest in the world — on Oct. 5, 1999.

The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation said their remains were found last week by German climber David Göttler and Swiss climber Ueli Steck, who were acclimatizing for their own ascent on the mountain's south face.

Lowe and other climbers were seeking to become the first Americans to ski down from the summit of Shishapangma for an episode of an NBC Sports documentary series called "The North Face Expeditions," hosted by the musician Sting.

A North Texas woman said she was followed into a public restroom at a hospital by a man who didn't believe she was female.

Jessica Rush said it happened last Thursday while she was being treated for an injured arm at Baylor Medical Center in Frisco. Rush, who is from The Colony, said she was about to enter a stall when she noticed a man following her into the restroom.

"It scared me at first," said Rush. "My first thought was I'm about to be attacked because I am a 5 foot, 3 [inch tall] female."

Rush then flipped on her smart phone and recorded a quick conversation with the man:

MAN: "You didn't look like a girl when I saw you enter, I thought it was..."
RUSH: "A boy?"
MAN: "Yeah."

Rush said she wore athletic clothing and a baseball cap. She said the incident angered Rush and her wife.

"I understand one thing if you're a cop of the Dallas Police Department but some random guy coming in I think is absolutely absurd and inappropriate," said Rush.

NBC DFW reached out to Baylor Medical Center's Media Relations Department. A spokesperson said they could not verify if the incident happened at one of their facilities and had no other comments.

The encounter comes as the intersection of bathrooms and gender has become a flashpoint across the country since North Carolina passed a law that requires people use bathrooms that correspond to their genders at birth.

Several state legislatures are considering similar bills, according The Associated Press.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said he would support legislation for a so-called "bathroom bill" in Texas.

Equality Texas, the state's largest LGBT lobbying organization, has said such policing is akin to "searching for a problem" and transgender people are more likely to be victims of assault than perpetrators.

President Barack Obama announced Osama bin Laden's death shortly before midnight on May 1, 2011 during a televised appearance in the East Room of the White House.

"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda," Obama said. 

Yet five years later, militant Islamic extremism has hardly receded, according to NBC News' analysis. There have been three important developments since bin Laden's death.

ISIS has surged onto the international stage two years ago with a series of mass executions, beheadings and enslavement. Al Qaeda's core may have lost significant ground in Pakistan, but experts worry that the group's affiliates in Yemen and Syria are poised for a comeback. Obama meanwhile, is still trying to close the prison facility at the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba since before Bin Laden's death, arguing that it's "one of the key magnets for jihadi recruitment."

Two men are being held in Hawaii in the killing of a former Encinitas resident who lived in Maui, Maui police confirmed.

Maui police arrested Healohaomakanaamekai Akahi Pua, 24, Saturday in the death of Michael Colby, a 39-year-old artist described by friends as an “amazing painter.”

Pua, charged with second-degree murder, was being held on $1 million bail.

A 16-year-old male was arrested on Friday by Maui police and turned over to the Sheriff’s Department.

Colby moved from Encinitas five years ago and enjoyed painting around the island.

A beach goer discovered his body on March 18 in the area of Ka‘a Point, just west of Kanaha Beach.

Colby’s friends raised money to hold memorial tributes to Colby in Maui and Encinitas.

A New Jersey Institute of Technology student was fatally shot at his Newark fraternity house during a robbery early Monday morning, police say.

Shots were fired in a robbery attempt at about 3:30 a.m. at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, police said.

The victim, 23-year-old Joseph Micalizzi, was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Micalizzi studied mechanical engineering and graduated from Freehold Township High School in 2011. 

His best friend from high school, Tyler Gdovian, said that last time he talked to Micalizzi he mentioned not feeling safe at the frat house. Micalizzi told his friend he had been robbed twice that semester.

"No one wants to hear this news," Gdovian said.

NJIT said that it was "saddened" by the death and that the school is extending thoughts and prayers to Micalizzi's family and friends. The national organization that oversees the TKE chapter at NJIT likewise said it was saddened by the shooting. 

Streets surrounding the fraternity house were cordoned off Monday morning as police investigated.

Students said they woke up Monday to an email alert about the killing. One, junior Asad Ahmed, said he's now worried about his safety.

"I can't even walk around the block," he said. "That's how scary this is now."

It's the second fatal shooting in Newark involving a college student in the last month.

On April 10, Rutgers University - Newark student Shani Patel was shot and killed at his off-campus apartment. Marcus Feliz, 25, was arrested in the Toms River 21-year-old's death. 

Authorities and the college are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Micalizzi's death. 

Anyone with information should call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office at 1-877-TIPS-4-EC.

Speaking about trade policy at a rally in Indiana, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took his rhetoric about China to a new level Sunday. 

"We can't continue to allow China to rape our country," Trump told a crowd in Fort Wayne. "That's what they're doing. It's the greatest theft in the history of the world." 

Trump previously has come under fire for using offensive or degrading language. 

At the same Indiana rally, Trump questioned whether Democratic contender Hillary Clinton has the "strength or energy" to make America "great" again — a line that has drawn allegations of sexism in the past.

His speech was one of several in Indiana over the weekend ahead of the state's critical primary.

Misty Copeland, the first black female principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, now has her very own Barbie doll.

The doll is a part of the Barbie "Sheroes" program, which creates dolls in the likeness of women "who inspire girls by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere," according to Barbie manufacturer Mattel.

Copeland, who joined ABT in 2001 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2015, was intimately involved with the design of the doll.

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"I always dreamed of becoming an ABT ballerina and through Barbie I was able to play out those dreams early on," Copeland said in a statement. "It's an honor to be able to inspire the next generation of kids with my very own Barbie doll."

The fashions for the doll were inspired by Copeland's Firebird costume from her first ABT principal role. She will be reprising that role on May 18 and 19 as part of the company's spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House.

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"Misty Copeland is at the center of a cultural conversation around how women continue to break boundaries," said Lisa McKnight, general manager and senior vice president at Barbie. "As a brand, we want to honor women, like Misty, who are inspiring women to live out their dreams."

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Copeland joins other Barbie "Sheroes" like Ava DuVernay, Emmy Rossum, Eva Chen, and Trisha Yearwood, among others.

"The Accidental Feminist" author M.G. Lord has said the Barbie doll was "the most potent icon of American popular culture in the late twentieth century."

The dolls have gone through constant adjustments and iterations to keep up with contemporary views.

The Copeland doll will join an expanded Barbie offering that now includes tall, curvy and petite body types, 22 different eye colors and seven different skin tones. There are also versions of Barbie as an entrepreneur, reflecting the growing number of women in that role.

Mattel said the Copeland Barbie will retail for $29.95 and is available for purchase now.

A stalled motorcycle caused a large pile-up near the start of the last event of the Red Hook Criterium bike race in Brooklyn Saturday night, according to video of the crash.

The video shows a pacer motorcycle stall in the path of the race soon after the bikers took off. The motorcyclist looks back, but does not dismount from his bike while cyclists swerve to avoid him.

One of the racers then hits the motorcyclist, crashing to the ground and causing what appears to be dozens of cyclists to hit the pavement.

According to Gothamist, seven riders were taken to an area hospital after the crash. The worst injury was reportedly a broken arm. 

The Red Hook Criterium has been raced in Brooklyn since 2008. Bikers in the race pedal fixed-gear bikes around a brakeless track, according to the race's website. 

National retail chain Sports Authority's future looks pretty bleak. 

The company announced in early March that it planned to close 140 of its 463 stores and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware, using the store closings to attempt to save its finances.

But just last week, Sports Authority indicated it's giving up on that plan and choosing to auction itself off, according to Fortune. Despite media reports over the weekend, the company has not said whether it will shutter its entire fleet of stores, Fortune reported. 

Sports Authority told NBC in a statement Monday, "we are no longer pursuing the standalone Plan of Reorganization track because we could not get our lenders to agree on the terms of such a Plan."

The company added that it's "focusing solely" on the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) track and "pursuing a sale of some or all of the business."

The company said a number potential buyers have expressed interest in the sale. 

Sports Authority also said it will be moving forward with the plan to close about 140 stores and that the "outcome of the M&A process will determine whether any additional store closings will be required."

A court-supervised auction for the company's assets will be held on May 16, Fortune reported. The retail chain holds more than $1.1 billion in debt, and may be using the sale to help save its remaining stores.

One person died and three others were injured in a multiple-car crash in the North County Sunday.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) were called at 8 p.m. to the scene of the crash along Buena Creek Road near N Twin Oaks Valley Road between Vista and San Marcos, north of State Route 78.

A 29-year-old Oceanside man, identified as Axel Calderon, died when his 1986 Toyota Corolla Sport crossed the double yellow line and collided head on into a 2010 Kia Rondo, CHP officers said.

The force of the crash pushed the Kia into two other vehicles.

The driver and passenger in the Kia were rushed to Palomar Hospital with what officials described as moderate injuries.

No other drivers were injured.

Antonio Balderas said hiis mother-in-law was able to walk away from the crash.  Her truck landed in a neighbor's yard. 

"When I got the phone call I was worried if she was okay," Balderas said. "Knowing that some person died, it's just shocking." 

Buena Creek Road was closed for hours between Casseu Road and North Twin Oaks Road the Department of Public Works said.

Neighbors said these types of crashes happen too often in the area. 

It's unclear if alcohol was a factor in the crash. CHP is investigating the cause of the crash.