Press Releases

January 24, 2011

South Florida Residents Run in their Undies to increase Awareness of Colon Cancer

Colon Cancer Alliance’s 2011 Undy 5000 Run Series Debuts Strong

Lake Worth, FL (January 24) – The Colon Cancer Alliance’s 1st Annual South Florida Undy 5000 5K run was held on Saturday, January 22 in Lake Worth, FL.  More than 325 people wearing Undy 5000 boxers participated in the event to help bring greater awareness to colon cancer, the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

“The South Florida Undy 5000 continues the run of successful events we’ve held throughout the United States,” said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). “We owe a great deal of thanks to the 75 dedicated race day volunteers and to the participants who raised almost $55,000 to help bring greater awareness of colon cancer and the importance of screening to combat this highly preventable disease.”

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.

Sponsors of the event included Ducolax, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Borland-Groover Clinic, Axcan Pharma, StopColonCancerNow.com, UnitedHealthcare, Baptist Medical Plazas, Palm Beach Cancer Institute, BAAI Insurance, Palm Beach Road Runners, Fox Spin & Sports Medicine, Korte & Wortman, P.A., Digestive Care, Broward Health, Apogee Home Health, ASCRS (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons), 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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