TGen News & Press Releases

• Written by Steve Yozwiak /
• Posted Wednesday February 22, 2012

Student-led march raises funds for TGen brain cancer research

SSBTR organizes 11th annual walk-a-thon at high school in Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Feb. 22, 2012 - Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research (SSBTR) expect as many as 5,000 volunteers to participate in its 11th annual walk-a-thon, benefitting cancer research, including the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

The walk is from 12-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at Saguaro High School, 6250 N. 82nd St., northeast of Hayden Road and McDonald Drive, in Scottsdale. Gates open at 11 a.m.

SSBTR was founded in 2002 after three students from the Paradise Valley Unified School District died after they were diagnosed with brain tumors. Brain tumors are second only to leukemia as the leading cause of cancer death among teenagers.

Since the first walk-a-thon in 2002, when 250 walkers raised $7,500, the student-led organization has raise more than $1.5 million for brain cancer research, while raising awareness and pursuing the ultimate goal of finding a cure.

In addition to the walk, this year's event will feature live music by Curtis Grimes from the television show The Voice, the bands Apexx, Halocene, and Jasper Drive, and a visit from the Phoenix Suns dancers and mascot, The Gorilla. A silent auction will include sports memorabilia, restaurant gift cards, and rounds of golf.

Registration the day of the event is $20, which includes food, t-shirt and entertainment.

Besides TGen, other beneficiaries of SSBTR are: Phoenix Children's Hospital, Barrow Neurological Institute, National Brain Tumor Society, and Steele Children's Research Center in Tucson.

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About SSBTR
Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research's (SSBTR) mission is to provide education and leadership development to our youth, furnish a platform for them to play a principal role in effecting positive changes in their communities, promote awareness of how common brain tumors are as the leading cause of cancer deaths among their peers and act as outreach to support affected individuals and their families. For more information about SSBRT and the 2012 Walk-A-Thon, or to donate silent auction items, please contact [email protected] or visit www.ssbtr.org.