The Colon Cancer Alliance hosted the eighth annual Undy Run/Walk on Saturday to build support and raise awareness for colon cancer.
The Undy Run/Walk was a 5K race near the State Capitol where survivors, supporters and families came together to sweat in the name of cancer prevention.
Participants donned their boxers and briefs and hit the streets at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
Adina Frazier, special events director for the Colon Cancer Alliance, said cancer is a difficult subject to talk about, which is why they decided to add some humor and encourage people dress in their underwear.
“It has been a wonderful event to showcase and bring the colon-cancer community together and give us the opportunity to really talk about something that can be a little difficult to talk about, but it is very important to raise awareness about colon cancer,” Frazier said. “We have done it in a fun way by allowing people to come to the Undy Run dressed in their boxers or their briefs, whatever they decide. It gives us an opportunity to put a little humorous twist on a serious subject and get people talking about it.”
The Colon Cancer Alliance predicted that it would have more participants at this year’s run than last year, where there were 13,000 runners according to Frazier.
“We do this run, walk series across the country and, right now, we are in about 19 different cities,” Frazier said. “The Phoenix Undy is one of our largest. You have the distinction of being one of the largest ones with over 13,000 people being registered for this year’s event.”
Frazier attributed this success to the high level of community support and interaction for this event. Local businesses that contributed to this year’s Undy Run include CBS 5, the Phoenix Suns, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dignity Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Frazier said the Phoenix Undy Run is unique because it is so large and has gained so much local support. She said the Colon Cancer Alliance loves the Phoenix Undy because the city has a “large rally around the colon cancer community.”
“Our goal is to have over 13,000 people come out to the event and go beyond our goal, which we reached last year, of $140,000 so we can continue to spread our message and work locally with partners like the Arizona Department of Health to get our word out,” Frazier said.
Frazier said that because the Colon Cancer Alliance has a chapter in Phoenix, there is community awareness all year long. Several employees of the Mayo Clinic also came out to support the Colon Cancer Alliance and raise awareness at the Undy Run.
Shannon Moore, a nurse at the Mayo Clinic, works on the GI Floor where 85 percent of their cases deal with colon cancer, she said. Mayo Clinic’s attendance at the event helps bring more awareness to the symptoms of colon cancer and what people should be paying attention to, Moore said.
“We have our pamphlets about screenings and all that stuff and people don’t always pay attention when something is wrong in their gut, it might be pain or abnormal stool, so I think it brings more awareness,” Moore said.
Frazier said the Arizona Department of Health Services is also a great resource because it helps people receive screenings even though they might not have insurance or are underinsured.
Since the Colon Cancer Alliance started the Undy Run in Phoenix in 2008, more and more supporters have joined the ranks and increased community involvement.
One of those people that came out to participate in the Undy Run and help the Colon Cancer Alliance reach their goal was Daniel Schulte, a 46-year-old psychologist and colon-cancer survivor. He has been a participant in the Undy Run for five consecutive years.
“We have a great turn out every year, they do a really good job of organizing the event. It is nice to have this level of community support for this kind of cancer,” Schulte said.
The event is doubly important for Schulte because his dad died from colon cancer.
“It is really fun to be able to come out with my family and just sort of recognize this,” Schulte said. “It is nice to be around a lot of people because this can be an isolating cancer, cancer in general can be an isolating thing to go through and to come out and feel like you’re part of a community and part of a city and region that really supports you is really fantastic.”
Contact the reporter at ellanna.koontz@asu.edu
