Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Spring race wrap-up
Charlotte race directors use YouTube to promote their event
Spring was exceptionally busy for the Colon Cancer Coalition as Get Your Rear in Gear 5K events set records across the country. Not only did participation increase for these colon cancer awareness gatherings, but savvy race directors, dedicated survivors and generous sponsors sought out and received unprecedented media attention, bringing much needed awareness to the importance of colon cancer screening and prevention.
Most of the recent events took place in March, Colon Cancer Awareness Month, but the Get Your Rear in Gear season actually began in late February when the city of Lafayette hosted their third annual Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk and Kids’ Fun Run. Over 300 participants showed up to run or walk the route and enjoy post-race beer and jambalaya. In attendance was colon cancer survivor Jason Esta, who is celebrating almost two years cancer-free. Jason and his family created a popular YouTube video which recounts his story and makes a strong case for the importance of screening procedures.
In March, five races took place across the country:
- Raleigh, North Carolina (March 6): Nearly 900 participants came out on a sunny morning for the Raleigh Get Your Rear in Gear event. Team “Live Sassy” participated in honor of Kimberly Hanson who was a passionate supporter and participant in last year’s race, but who lost her battle to colon cancer. Before Kim passed away in December, she made sure that there was a “Live Sassy” team in the Raleigh walk. Her family also recently founded Comfy for Chemo, an organization that collects blankets to help patients stay warm during their treatments as chemicals are being pumped into their systems.
- Charlotte, North Carolina (March 13): Race directors Mary-Karen Bierman and Susan Falco did an unprecedented job of promoting their first Get Your Rear In Gear 5K Run/Walk in Charlotte. The colon cancer survivors appeared in Runners World Magazine as well as in newspapers and on local morning television stations to promote the event. The race directors also posted a race day YouTube video to memorialize the days’ events. The publicity blitz made the event a roaring success with over 1,200 participants.
- Dallas, Texas (March 20): Over 500 registered for the inaugural Get Your Rear in Gear 5K/10K Run & Walk in Dallas-Fort Worth. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate, but nothing could stop the smiles on people’s faces in cold rain and wind. Although the coffee stand became a popular area to huddle, people gathered together in the rain to run or walk the distance to honor their loved ones.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3/21): Over 1,700 runners and walkers came out for the 2010 Philadelphia Get Your Rear in Gear 5K. Over 50 teams were formed for this race, including team “Fecal Matters” which honored Tony Pace. Tony was featured recently on NBC-10 because of his remarkable story of diagnosis, treatment and recovery from colon cancer. Race Director Maria Grasso promoted the race on an NBC morning show and worked with major sponsors to make the event a success.
- San Antonio, Texas (March 28): Over 800 registered participants made the inaugural race day one for the history books. Chairperson Katie Kelley had hoped for 400-500 participants total, so her committee was delighted when nearly 300 people showed up on race day to take part in the event. Participants and volunteers were greeted with music, freshly made tacos, coffee, punch and smiles.
Newly designed Post Race Info pages have been created at GetYourRearinGear.com so that race participants can navigate through the website to find their race results, read about their event, and see photos or videos from race day. In addition, a new Media Page highlights television, newspaper and internet coverage of the events and the organization throughout the country.
