About 5,000 applications from participants of yesterday's Race for the Cure are missing after a car containing them was stolen last week, said Darcie Yukimura, spokeswoman with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Nearly 7,000 applications were submitted for this year's event. Applications submitted online were not affected.

Yukimura said a letter is being sent to participants notifying them that the applications are missing. Event organizers also announced it at yesterday's event.

At least 300 of the applications contained credit card information and all of them had personal information, she said.

"All of our participants have been very understanding," Yukimura said. "Right now our top priority is making sure everyone gets the information they need to protect themselves."

Included in the letter to participants are phone numbers and Web sites where participants can get extra information about protecting their credit and monitoring for any misuse of their personal information.

Credit card companies have been notified about the missing applications and they will contact participants directly if there is any suspicious activity, the letter says.

"It's always alarming when your personal information gets stolen. There's no telling how it will be used," said Sue Kanour, an 'Ewa Beach resident who participated in the race yesterday. She said while event organizers said they made an announcement, she didn't hear it and she was not aware that the applications were missing.

Her neighbor Steve Gunn also said he was not aware that the applications were stolen. He said that he and his wife used credit card information when they submitted their applications.

"Ours could be in there. That's a pretty big percentage of applications to go missing," he said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.