"Northeast Iowa Get Your Rear In Gear" 5K Run/Walk scheduled for Saturday to raise colon cancer awareness

The third annual “Northeast Iowa Get Your Rear in Gear” 5K Run and Walk has been scheduled for Saturday, October 6 to begin at St. Patrick Catholic School, which is located at 106 Second Street SW in Waukon. The event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and is part of the nationwide series of "Get Your Rear in Gear" events which raise awareness and funds for colorectal cancer.
The event will highlight the importance of screening for colon cancer, encouraging the public to take action and talk to their doctor about screening. The race serves as an important place to gather and celebrate colon cancer survivors, remember those lost to this disease and honor those who are still battling.
From its initial year of 113 participants in 2010, the event more than doubled last year to 350 walkers/runners, with hopes for that trend of growth to continue. This year's event will also feature a 12-foot colon display that individuals can walk through to witness the function of the organ and the areas of concern that come with it. That display will be set up inside St. Patrick School from 7-10 a.m. that race day for racers and non-racers to view.
Colon cancer claims more than 54,000 lives in the U.S. every year. Remarkably, colon cancer is preventable with regular screening and very treatable if caught in its early stages. The process seems overshadowed by people’s fear of the test and the preparation for colonoscopy, the gold standard in screening. It was information like this that convinced the Coalition that a public campaign needed to be waged to address those fears.
“With the Get Your Rear in Gear event,” says Northeast Iowa race director Laurie Martin, “we hope to make the public as comfortable talking about colon cancer screening as they are for heart, diabetes or breast cancer. By working together we can have a positive impact on colon and rectal cancer in our community and beyond.”
Monies raised from this northeast Iowa event have been and will continue to be invested in local projects to help increase awareness of colorectal cancer, improve access to screening and offer support to those touched by the disease. Funds raised from the 2011 northeast Iowa event were used to help purchase t-shirts for the Waukon Wellness Center's Ironman Challenge in March, which in turn generated further funding for the local "Get Your Rear In Gear" event, and for billboards and printed materials to raise awareness of colon cancer and to encourage everyone to get screened at age 50.
For more information about the event or to volunteer assistance, contact Northeast Iowa race director Laurie Martin at 563-380-9308 or mothermartin55@gmail.com or visit www.GetYourRearInGear.com. Registration for the event can also be accomplished by filling out and mailing or faxing the form printed in this week's edition of The Standard or by visiting the above-mentioned website. Registration fee to participate in the event is $30 for adults after October 3, $15 for children ages 12 and under.