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- Posted Friday March 26, 2010
First 'Strides for Life-Arizona' will benefit TGen lung cancer research
3-mile fun run-walk around Tempe Town Lake will raise funds for
TGen
TEMPE, Ariz. - March 26, 2010 - Strides for Life-Arizona is a
family-friendly fun run-walk that will take place on April 11
around part of Tempe Town Lake in an effort to raise funds for lung
cancer research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute
(TGen).
This will be the first Strides for Life event in Arizona and the
first outside of New York, where the event's organizer, the Lung
Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF), has raised more than $1.7
million for lung cancer research since 2006, when it organized its
first run-walk in Southampton, N.Y.
LCRF, a leader in helping advance the pace of lung cancer
research, previously awarded $75,000 to TGen to name the Lung
Cancer Research Foundation Bench, which enables TGen scientists to
conduct groundbreaking investigations.
"Given the world-class research resources in the state, Arizona
was the first choice in expanding the Foundation's signature event,
especially since a portion of funds raised will go towards TGen's
lung cancer research program," said Laurie Carson, founder of the
LCRF.
"Funding for lung cancer research and education is crucial, yet
even though the disease is responsible for almost one-third of all
cancer deaths in the nation, there is a severe scarcity of funds,''
Carson said.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide,
annually killing 1.3 million people. Nearly 220,000 new cases of
lung cancer will be diagnosed this year in the U.S., where more
than 159,000 men and women will die from the disease, according to
estimates by the National Cancer Institute.
There remains no practical way to screen for lung cancer. As a
result, nearly 75 percent of patients are diagnosed with
advanced-stage disease, leaving few options for treatment. TGen's
Lung Cancer Research Lab is at the forefront of efforts to improve
lung cancer detection, develop new therapies and enhance our
understanding of tumor biology.
Among American women, lung cancer is responsible for more cancer
deaths than breast cancer and all gynecological cancers combined.
And while the link between smoking and lung cancer is well
established, nearly 50 percent of new lung cancer cases are former
smokers and about 15 percent have never smoked.
Registration for Strides for Life-Arizona will start at 7:30 a.m.
on April 11 at Tempe Arts Park, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, on the
south side of Tempe Town Lake, midway between Priest Drive and Mill
Avenue, near the Tempe Center for the Arts.
Races will begin at 9 a.m. The first 500 participants in the
run-walk will receive Strides for Life t-shirts. The 50-yard dash
for children ages 2-10 will start at 10:15 a.m., with the first 200
participants receiving a Strides for Life medals and t-shirts.
Awards will be given to the first adult, youth and first five
members of a team to cross the finish line.
The run-walk for adults is $25 ($30 after April 4), and $10 for
youths under 18. There are no fees for children in the 50-yard
dash. More information, please contact the TGen Foundation at
www.tgenfoundation.org or 602-343-8470; or the LCRF at
www.lungfund.org or 800-380-7988.
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About The Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization that supports national research and activities to
develop better treatments, screening and prevention of lung cancer.
It was founded in 2005 by Laurie Carson, who lost two family
members to lung cancer: a brother who never smoked, and an uncle
who had quit smoking 20 years before his death. The Foundation's
signature fundraising event, Strides for Life, has raised more than
$1.7 million since 2006 to fund scientific research grants at
leading cancer centers across the country. For more information,
visit www.lungfund.org.
*
About The Translational Genomics Research Institute
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life-changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit www.tgen.org.
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