Press Releases

September 13, 2010

3rd Annual Philadelphia Undy 5000 Makes Big Strides Against Colon Cancer

Philadelphia, PA (September 13, 2010) – The 3rd Annual Philadelphia Undy 5000 5K run took place on Saturday, September 11 at 9:00 AM Martin Luther King Drive in Philadelphia, PA.  Almost 600 adults and children participated in the event to help bring greater awareness to colon cancer, the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

"Each year the Philadelphia Undy 5000 grows bigger and bigger," said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). "This year, Philly residents helped us raise more than $100,000, 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 local colon cancer screening efforts."

The Undy 5000 series, created by the CCA and held in cities across the nation, is designed to promote awareness and education about colon cancer. The event stresses the importance of timely colon cancer screening, and provides valuable information for those already affected by the disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that 142,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. Through recommended screenings, this cancer can be caught early when treatment is most effective -- or even prevented altogether when pre-cancerous polyps are detected and removed.

Regional sponsors of this event included Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center, City Ave, Crozer Keystone Health Systems, 6ABC, Siemens, Previstage, Fairmount Park and Main Line Health. National sponsors of this event included Amgen Oncology, ASCRS (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Bristol Myers Squibb, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Genentech, MITA (Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance) and Salix Pharmaceuticals.

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, the CCA provides patient support, public education, supports research and conducts advocacy work across America.

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