Press Releases

August 3, 2010

Jersey Shore Undy 5000 Makes Big Impact Against Colon Cancer

Long Branch, NJ (August 3, 2010) – The Jersey Shore Undy 5000 5K run took place on Saturday, July 31st at 7:00 AM on the boardwalk of Pier Village in Long Branch, NJ.  Mike Fitzgerald, emcee and The Breeze DJ, sang the national anthem for nearly 400 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.

”Jersey Shore was a wonderful place for the Undy 5000,” said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). “We raised almost $50,000, 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 the Riverview Medical Center to support the hospital’s healthcare program and services.”

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.

“Colon cancer does not always show symptoms," said Dr. Terry Schlimbaum of Hunterdon Medical Center. “I went to get screened because I turned 50, and I found out right after my screening that I had colon cancer.  This is a wonderful event that brings us all together to share our stories and discuss the importance of getting screened and how it can save lives.”

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.

Regional sponsors of this event included Palumbo Associates, Specialty Surgical Associates, Premio Foods, Inc and Mako Surgical Corporation.  Food and Beverage sponsors of this event included Panera Bread, Whole Foods and Wegmans.  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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