Press Releases

October 6, 2010

1st Annual Washington, DC Undy 5000
Brings Greater Awareness about Colon Cancer to Residents

Washington, DC (October 4, 2010) – The 1st Annual Washington, DC Undy 5000 5K run was held on Sunday, October 3 at 8:00 AM at East Potomac Park.  Almost 400 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.

“We were excited to bring our Undy 5000 series to Washington, DC as part of the DC Goes Blue Campaign,” said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA). “This year, Washington, DC residents helped us raise more than $50,000, which will help support and build the CCA’s national and local patient support and innovative public awareness programs. Raising awareness of colon cancer among DC residents is sorely needed as this city has one of the highest rates of colon cancer in the nation!”

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 Stop Colon Cancer Now, Quest Diagnostics, and Washington Radiology Associates, P.C. 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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