Here’s an idea: this July 4, before the hot dogs and fireworks, get back in touch with good-old-fashioned American community activism by taking part in the 1st Annual Teal There’s a Cure 5K Run/Walk. The event is set to kick-off at 9 a.m. Saturday July 4 in Marcellus Park to help raise awareness about ovarian cancer. Kevin O’Hara, of Marcellus said his family is organizing the event to help get the word out about this type of cancer that is often untreated and not diagnosed until it has already progressed to a later stage. “Most women, when they find out they have it, are already in stage three or stage four,” O’Hara said. “And you don’t hear a lot about it, so we’re trying to get awareness out.” The O’Hara family knows all too well how little-known ovarian cancer is: one of Kevin’s six sisters was diagnosed recently at stage three of the illness. Although he said she is doing well, the experience motivated the family to help educate other community members about the disease. But O’Hara is quick to point out the Teal There’s a Cure event is not a benefit specifically for his sister, rather a fundraiser that will send proceeds to the American Cancer Society and GRACE’S, a local ovarian and gynecological cancer support group. Even though it’s a first-time event, O’Hara said they were hoping to have around 100 people to participate, and things so far are looking very good. “I think it’s going to bigger than we thought, but we’re still trying to keep our expectations low to be pleasantly surprised,” O’Hara said. A tour of the village
The route is one that O’Hara said he regularly runs himself. The course includes a couple small hills and provides a scenic tour of the village of Marcellus, beginning and ending in Marcellus Park and taking participants up Limerick Street and back down Main Street. “People are going to be able to see Marcellus,” O’Hara said. The course will provide a good workout for runners and walkers but not prove too challenging for first-timers. O’Hara said the event will probably kick-off with a patriotic song and refreshments will be available for finishers back at the park. “We appreciate everybody that’s getting involved and we want to show our thanks, too,” O’Hara said. For more information about the race and GRACE’S, visit gracesgarden.org. Pick up race registration forms at Marcellus Village Hall and look for forms and flyers at the Alvord House and Sono Pizzeria. For those who want to be involved but aren’t up for the 5K walk or run, volunteers are needed to help organize and register participants before the run, direct runners and walkers and hand out water along the route. To volunteer with the Teal There’s a Cure event, call Sheila O’Hara-Coughlin – yes, another one of Kevin’s sisters – at 682-6606. About ovarian cancer
Like many of the most deadly forms of cancer, ovarian cancer presents symptoms that are easily mistaken for other conditions, such as bloating, pelvic and abdominal pain, feeling full quickly or urinary issues. Additional symptoms can include fatigue, indigestion and back pain – subtle symptoms that are not often cause for alarm. For more information about ovarian and other gynecological cancers, visit ovariancancer.org The GRACE’S support group is open to victims of gynecological cancers and their families and friends is held the last Wednesday of the month at the Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY Building, 5008 Brittonfield Parkway, East Syracuse. By the numbers: Ovarian Cancer
– 1 in 72 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer during their lifetime.
– About 20,000 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
– Only 19 percent of ovarian cancer cases in the United States are diagnosed before the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. – 90 percent of women with early-stage ovarian cancer do experience symptoms.
– Approximately 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage after the cancer has spread beyond the ovary. – About 15,000 American women will die from the disease in 2008.
Source: ovariancancer.org