Press Releases

April 27, 2010

First Annual Grand Rapids Undy 5000 Makes Big Impact Against Colon Cancer

Grand Rapids, MI (April 27, 2010) – The 1st Annual Grand Rapids Undy 5000 5K run took place on Saturday, April 24 at 9:00 AM at East Grand Rapids Middle School.  Craig Russell, emcee and WFGR DJ sang the national anthem for nearly 500 adults and children who participated in the event to help bring greater awareness to colon cancer, the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in the United States. 

"Grand Rapids was a wonderful host city for the Undy 5000," said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). "We raised almost $75,000, which will help support and build the CCA's national and local patient support and innovative public awareness programs. In addition, a percentage of the funds raised will benefit Project Access, a physician volunteer program that offers a unique health care service for uninsured, low-income residents of Kent County, Michigan."

The Undy 5000, created by the CCA, is designed to promote awareness and education about colon cancer. The event particularly stresses the importance of timely colon cancer screening, and also provides valuable information for those already affected by the disease. 

"There is not enough awareness about how important it is to be screened for colorectal cancer," said Dr. Don Kim, Colon and Rectal Surgeon, Ferguson Clinic. "This is a cancer that shows no symptoms, but if caught early enough, it can save lives.  This event brought together so many people that shared their stories and brought much needed attention to the importance of getting screened."

Prior to and following the run, attendees were able to try robotic surgery with the daVinci® Robotic Surgery System, a state-of-the-art technology that seamlessly translates the surgeon's hand movements for a more precise operation than conventional instrumentation.
 
The Undy 5000 is held in different cities across the country throughout the year. The goal of the event is to educate the public about colon cancer, promote screenings, and get people talking about this deadly, but preventable, disease. This event also raises much needed funds to support and build the CCA's national and local patient support and create innovative public awareness programs.

Regional sponsors of this event include Meijer, MMPC, Founders Bank & Trust, Saint Mary's Health Care, Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan, Spectrum Health Medical Group, da Vinci Surgical System, WFGR 98.7, Striders, Metro Health Sports Medicine and Gazelle Sports. More information about the Undy 5000 is available online at www.undy5000.org.

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The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a national patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer. In order to increase rates of screening and survivorship, CCA provides patient support, education, research and advocacy across North America.

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