Press Releases

June 17, 2010

First Annual Tacoma Undy 5000 is a Huge Success

The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) and Digestive Health Specialists hosted the first annual Tacoma Undy 5000 5K run on Saturday, June 5th at Cheney Stadium.  The CCA’s mascot, the Star of Hope and the Rainiers mascot, Rhubard, danced and entertained the nearly 300 adults and children who participated in the event to help bring greater awareness to colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. 

“Tacoma was a wonderful host city for the Undy 5000,” said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance. “We raised almost $40,000, which will help support and build the CCA’s national and local patient support and public awareness programs. In addition, 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.”

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. Steven Alabaster, President of DHS. “This is a cancer that shows no symptoms, but if caught early enough, it can save lives.”  Dr. Alabaster urged people to get screened during a moving speech he made just before the starting pistol was fired.

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.

National sponsors of this event included Amgen Oncology, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc, Genentech and Salix Pharmaceuticals. Some of the regional sponsors included Cheney Stadium, Digestive Health Specialists, Innovative Anesthesia Management, Key Private Bank, Multicare Health System, Ohana Harbor Coffee Company and Panagioutu Pension Advisors, Inc. 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 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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