MINNEAPOLIS, March 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Colon Cancer Awareness Month kicks off this month, the Colon Cancer Coalition / Get Your Rear in Gear is preparing for the biggest month in the organization's seven year history. Twelve Get Your Rear in Gear® road races are planned in eight states across the country, including three this weekend in Raleigh, N.C., Savannah, Ga. and Austin, Texas. The March schedule also includes four new host cities for the 2012 race season. Races will be held in:
| Raleigh, N.C | Sat., March 3 |
| *Savannah, Ga. | Sat., March 3 |
| Austin, Texas | Sun., March 4 |
| *Tulsa, Okla. | Sat., March 10 |
| Charlotte, N.C. | Sat., March 10 |
| Philadelphia, Penn. | Sun., March 18 |
| Chattanooga, Tenn. | Sat., March 24 |
| Ft. Myers, Fla. | Sat., March 24 |
| San Antonio, Texas | Sun., March 25 |
| *Mercer Island, Wash. | Sun., March 25 (part of the Mercer Island Half Marathon) |
| Winston-Salem, N.C. | Sat., March 31 |
| *Memphis, Tenn. | Sat., march 31 |
*=new host city in 2012
The Colon Cancer Coalition, a grassroots organization that started in 2005 with one 5K race in Minneapolis, is on track to host over 40 events in 2012, adding races in several new cities including Atlanta, Memphis, San Diego, Houston and Toledo. A complete list of Get Your Rear in Gear events can be found at GetYourRearinGear.com/events.
In addition to the races, Get Your Rear in Gear is hosting a special March web and social media campaign featuring the "Faces of Blue." The Faces of Blue tells a different story of colon cancer survivors, caregivers and others affected by this disease each day throughout the month of March. Visit the Get Your Rear in Gear website during March to read each new story, GetYourRearinGear.com/Faces-of-Blue. The page also features a calendar of colon cancer awareness events taking place around the country.
Get Your Rear in Gear® events are presented nationally by the Colon Cancer Coalition, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, and are 100% volunteer-driven in communities throughout the United States. To date the Colon Cancer Coalition has distributed nearly $1.25 million back into local communities for colon cancer education, prevention, and screening. By making the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer. A history of the organization, upcoming events, and a list of programs receiving funding from the Colon Cancer Coalition can be found at GetYourRearinGear.com.
The Get Your Rear in Gear logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11862
Contact:
Erin Peterson
Communications Director
Get Your Rear in Gear
651-247-4023
erinpeterson@getyourrearingear.com
A file accompanying this release is available at:
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