Press Releases

May 18, 2010

Tacoma Welcomes The Undy 5000 To Help Bring Greater Awareness To Colon Cancer

The first annual Tacoma Undy 5000 5K run/walk will be held on Saturday, June 5th at 9:00 AM at Cheney Stadium. The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA), a national patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colon cancer, will host the event to help bring greater awareness to this disease – the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

”The Undy 5000 has been getting bigger and bigger with every city we visit, and Tacoma is no exception,” said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance. “Tacoma has welcomed us with open arms and has been pivotal in helping the Colon Cancer Alliance get the word out about a highly preventable disease that a lot of people are too embarrassed to talk about. By letting more people know about the importance of screenings, we can save lives.”

The Undy 5000 is held in cities nationwide 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 innovative public awareness programs. A portion of the funds raised will go toward a free screening program developed by Digestive Health Specialists (DHS). DHS' physicians volunteer their time to provide colon cancer screenings to qualified individuals.

This event stands out from many other 5K events because participants run in specially designed boxer-style shorts, providing a fun way to bring attention to a serious disease. This is a family-oriented event open to all ages. In addition to the 5K, there will be a family fun run and activities for children.

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.

In addition to the run, participants who raise $50 or more will receive two complimentary tickets to the June 5th Tacoma Rainiers baseball game at Cheney Stadium along with a free hotdog, soda and chips.

Regional sponsors of this event include Digestive Health Specialists, Panagiotu Pension Advisors, MultiCare, Innovative Anesthesia Management, LLC (IAM), Key Bank, South Sound Magazine, JayRay, KLAY-AM 1180 and Tacoma Farmers Markets. More information about the Undy 5000 is available online at www.undy5000.org.

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The CCA is a national patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer. In order to increase screening and survivorship rates, the CCA provides education and patient support, furthers research efforts, and conducts advocacy work across the country.

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