See also our related blog for the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Initiative.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Team Sarcoma San Antonio Event 2008


This morning at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio we had over 30 participants in the Team Sarcoma run/walk. It was a cooler than average morning for South Texas, fortunately! In attendence were sarcoma survivors, researchers and clinical care providers. This event is one of dozens internationally that raise awareness for Sarcoma. Preliminary reports indicate that there were over 8,000 people worldwide involved in the 2008 Team Sarcoma Initiative’s International Sarcoma Awareness Week! These events are coordinated by the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. All proceeds benefit sarcoma research. Kudos to organizers Jinu Abraham and Mandy McCleish from our lab but especially colleagues Denice Jimenez and Kim Warshauer at the UTHSCSA Development Office who made this event possible. The event just in San Antonio raised $440 for sarcoma research. We hope we can get even more people involved for the event next year to raise awareness about Sarcoma.

Press Release from the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative (Liddy's Dad):
8,000 People Join the Team Sarcoma Initiative to Fight a Rare Cancer
"From its humble beginnings in 2003, when seven people who called themselves "Team Sarcoma" biked 200 miles in Louisiana, the Team Sarcoma Initiative has become an international movement. More than 8,000 people worldwide participated in this year's Initiative, surpassing the 3,400 who participated last year. Events in 14 countries were hosted by individuals, advocacy groups and medical centers seeking to raise awareness of sarcoma, a cancer that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide."

5 comments:

jcc said...

Well-organized event. Hope to meet more sarcoma survivors and
supporters at the 2009 walk/run. Really appreciated the support from all UTHSCSA people that were present on Thursday. Would a Saturday walk/run attract even more people or even be a possibility?
Janice

Charles said...

yes - a Saturday morning would be a really good idea. I think we should do that for next year's event.

There's also the possibility of a bike ride that we could do for variety. As long as it is a "human-powered event" anything is possible. what would you think of something other than a walk/run?

empy said...

Congratulations on a successful event! This movement is so exciting. Many teams choose to do a bike/walk/run so that those who cannot bike have other options. If this option works for your chosen location, it will probably attract the most people - especially on a Saturday.

jcc said...

Bike/walk/run sounds great. Would that include a wheelchair accessible route or path?

Charles said...

We would definitely need to do something like that to be inclusive. Given the few bike paths in San Antonio, what would you think of an event starting from Friedrich Park (where there are wheelchair-accessible paths and nice shade), whereby the bike riders could do a loop on the roads around the park, and we all meet back at the park for refreshments? We'd need to look into whether they'd allow such an event at Friedrich. Maybe there's a better venue?