MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Colon Cancer Coalition is coming off a record year in 2012 featuring 38 signature Get Your Rear in Gear Run/Walk events, including nine new host cities. The nation's leading event series raising money for colon cancer education, prevention and patient support attracted over 28,000 run/walk participants nationwide, and over 14,000 individuals and sponsors contributing over $2.2 million to fight colon cancer.
The successes celebrated in 2012 would not be possible without the tireless work of our volunteers. The Get Your Rear in Gear Run/Walks are planned and run by over 1,200 volunteers donating over 35,000 hours of their time.
Get Your Rear in Gear events give back to their host communities in the form of grants that will help further colon cancer education and patient support in each area. Each grant is different allowing our volunteer event planners to make the greatest impact in their communities.
Some of the 2012 grant recipients include:
- The Otto Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers (Alexandria, Va.)
- Pennington Biomedical Research (Baton Rouge, La.)
- Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Boston, Mass.)
- Buddy Kemp Cancer Support Center (Charlotte, N.C)
- Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
- David's Fight (Des Moines, Iowa)
- Medical College of Wistonsin (Milwaukee, Wis.)
- Trinity Muscatine Hospital (Muscatine, Iowa)
- The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health and Center for Advanced Digestive Care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Wiell Cornell Medical Center (New York, N.Y.)
- Access OC (Orange County Calif.)
- Abrahamson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (Raleigh, N.C.)
- Hill Country Mission for Health (San Antonio, Texas)
- ThriveWell Cancer Foundation (San Antonio, Texas)
- Strides for Life (San Fransisco, Calif.)
- Evergreen Healthcare (Seattle, Wash.)
- The Cancer Support Center (Tinley Park, Ill.)
- Sage Scopes Screening Program (Twin Cities, Minn.)
- Cancer Services, Inc. (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
2013 promises to be just as exciting! Run/walk events are planned in several new host areas including Appanoose County (Centerville), Iowa; Hickory, N.C.; Jefferson City, Mo.; and Virginia Beach, Va. For more information about these and all of our events visit GetYourRearInGear.com/Events.
About the Colon Cancer Coalition / Get Your Rear in Gear
Get Your Rear in Gear events are presented nationally by the Colon Cancer Coalition, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis. The events are 100% volunteer-driven in communities throughout the United States. The Colon Cancer Coalition distributes funds raised at Get Your Rear in Gear events back into local 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 Colon Cancer Coalition / Get Your Rear in Gear logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11862
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=17049
CONTACT:Erin Peterson, Communications Director
Colon Cancer Coalition
651-247-4023, erinpeterson@getyourrearingear.com
