TGen News

Phoenix, AZ — Nov. 2, 2022 — November is pancreatic cancer awareness month and to kick things off, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, is holding its 17th annual Step-N-Out 5K ‘FUNdraiser’ for cancer research on Sunday, November 6. This year’s event takes place at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale with the help and support of the title sponsor The Michael Francis Family, Francis Roses, and Dunn Orthodontics.
 
There’s still time to register.
 
For Step-N-Out volunteer Maggie Howard, the event is more than a fundraiser, it’s a way to give back and a way to honor her father, who passed away from pancreatic cancer 24 years ago, just two years after his diagnosis. She was 11.
 
Howard’s involvement with TGen began five years ago, and she’s been a volunteer ever since. But it’s about more than raising money for research, it’s also about community. 
 
“The walk, to me, shows others that people can survive, that there is hope and that we are a community. We stand behind it,” she said. “I encourage everyone I meet to come out and hear from the survivors and doctors and families, it’s so inspiring.”
 
The event brings together pancreatic cancer survivors, families, caregivers, researchers and advocates in a family-style setting in an effort to raise funds that support clinical trials and research into pancreatic cancer, now the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. 
 
For Howard, it’s also a chance for her children to honor a man they never met. 
 
“My children never got to meet their grandpa, but every year my son wears a t-shirt from previous years and he walks very proudly. He is TGen’s number one fan. He talks a lot about the walk and why it's important. I think that people should remember the ones they’ve lost, but also celebrate the ones that are still surviving,” she said.
 
For TGen, the event raises dollars in support of new clinical trials and research focused on extending the one-, five-, and ten-year pancreatic cancer survival rates. After touring TGen, Howard was impressed by the passion the scientists at TGen bring to their work and by the technology that allows them to make advances at an accelerated pace.
 
“They really believe in what they’re doing and their drive and commitment to making a difference makes me feel good about the time and commitment I put into the event. I know it’s appreciated and I know it’s helping others,” she said. “They take nothing for granted: it’s just a lot of hard work and a desire to make a difference.”
 
Event Details
 
New this year, the event moves to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. The complex encompasses 140 acres of scenic landscape that has unmatched views of Camelback Mountain, the McDowell Mountains, Four Peaks, Red Mountain, and the Superstition Mountains. 
 
Step-N-Out consists of an in-person event and virtual component as our supporters hail from all corners of the state and numerous communities across America. Whether hiking a trail, hitting the gym, or some other form of activity—including sleeping in—they’re all stepping out to eliminate pancreatic cancer.
 
The in-person activities consist of a 5K run/walk, a 1-mile Fun Run, and exciting Kids' Dash.
 
Date: Sunday, November 6
 
Time: Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. and is available to walk-ups.
 
Cost
Cancer Survivor: Free

Adult in-person 5K walk/run: $40 (timed) $35 (not timed)
Virtual walk/run: $40 

Child (aged 6 to 12) 5K walk/run: $20

Adult 1-mile run/walk: $30
Kid’s Dash: Free to children aged 5 and under
Sleep in for Research: $30
 
Register today at tgen.org/step
 
For questions, please contact TGen Foundation events manager Amiee Lay at 602-343-8502 or 760-310-6023, or email her at [email protected].