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This year, the town of Celebration is joining a national effort in the fight against prostate cancer. On Sunday, November 9 at 7:30 am., the Florida Hospital Celebration Health Founders Day 5K/10K kicks off. This event, which begins at Florida Hospital Celebration Health and winds through the charming town of Celebration, is part of the Prostate Cancer Education Council’s (PCEC) national PACE Race Series, which helps to educate men and their families on the importance of early detection.
“This year prostate cancer is expected to claim the lives of more than 2,500 men in Florida alone. Many of these deaths could be avoided through annual screenings, which helps men catch their disease in its early stages when it is most treatable,” said Jon Hughes, Race Director. “By joining the PACE Race Series, we are able to help reach the men in our community with information that can save their lives.”
The race asks men and women of all ages – including runners and walkers at all fitness levels – to join the fight by participating in a 10K run/walk, 5K run/walk or the Disney Children's Hospital Way Cool Kids’ Run. The winners of the 10K PACE Masters component (for runners over 40-years-old) will receive a portion of the $1,250 prize purse, sponsored by the PACE Race. Additionally, as part of their efforts to raise greater prostate cancer awareness in Celebration, the PCEC will also provide gift bags for race participants. Following this year’s race, participants can also visit Florida Hospital Celebration Health’s fair, which will include educational booths where people can talk to a doctor and pick up informational materials on prostate cancer and other health areas.
“Raising awareness about prostate cancer is extremely important to us, as the disease currently affects more than 2 million American men,” said Wendy Poage, President, Prostate Cancer Education Council. “With races throughout the country, we have a real opportunity to touch men in all walks of life and educate them, and their families, about this devastating disease.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men. With a one in six lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer, estimates for 2008 indicate that more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed in the United States, and nearly 28,700 will die from the disease. The second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer, prostate cancer is often treatable if detected early.
U.S. marathon legend Bill Rodgers, the national spokesperson for the PACE Race Series and a prostate cancer survivor, cannot stress the importance of screenings enough. “It is my hope that all men at risk for prostate cancer are screened for this deadly disease. It’s the best way to detect prostate cancer in its early stages because there are no early warning signs or symptoms,” he said. “Even though I began running again only four months after my tumor was removed, I continue to receive regular screenings and advise other men to do the same.”
The PACE Race Series – sponsored by sanofi-aventis to benefit the PCEC – was launched in 2002 to increase national awareness of prostate cancer.
Men, women, families, friends and neighbors – at all fitness levels – are invited to participate in the PACE Race Series. This 5K run/walk series was launched in 2002 by the PCEC to increase awareness of prostate cancer and to educate men and their families on the importance of early detection. With events across the country, the PACE Race Series has the ability to touch men and women of all walks of life.
About the Prostate Cancer Education Council
A national organization committed to men’s health, the Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) is dedicated to saving lives through awareness and the education of men, the women in their lives, as well as the medical community about prostate cancer prevalence, the importance of early detection, and available treatment options, as well as other men’s health issues. The Council – comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists and prostate cancer advocates – aims to conduct nation wide screenings for men and perform research that will aid in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer.
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