The 12th annual event will be held at Valenzano Winery.
All community members are invited to run toward a cure to prostate cancer at the 12th annual ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk.
This year, ZERO will host its first event in Shamong — to represent its South Jersey event. It will be held at Valenzano Winery, located at 1090 Route 206 in Shamong, on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 9 a.m.
ZERO has partnered with Delaware Valley Urology to host the event, which features a 5K run/walk, one-mile walk, Kids’ Superhero Dash for Dad and virtual Snooze for Dudes program.
The Kids’ Superhero Dash for Dad allows children ages 9 and under to dress up as their favorite superhero on race day to remind them of their heros, whether that be their father, grandfather, or any other male role model. The virtual Snooze for Dudes program allows those who can’t attend the event to sign up as a virtual participant, supporting the cause from the comfort of their beds.
ZERO plans to make prostate cancer research a national priority by providing men and families with educational resources and securing funding for promising research for improved early detection options — early detection is vital in giving men a better chance to live cancer-free.
Amanda Singer, ZERO’s marketing and communications manager, has been working with the organization since 2015, after the loss of her father to lung cancer in 2014. She wanted to find a way to use her marketing skills to help those affected by cancer, and said events like these are a great way to give those struggling with prostate cancer, their families, or others who have been affected by the disease, a chance to connect.
“It’s important that every person affected not feel alone, and these events help them see that they are not, that there are others out there dealing with the same disease and that they can lean on and support each other during these tough times,” Singer said. “It also helps them to see the community rallying behind them at an event such as this. It’s also wonderful to see how much awareness there is in the community during and after the event, which is important when you’re talking about prostate cancer.”
Singer said one in nine American men will have prostate cancer during his lifetime, and that prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among American men and is the most commonly diagnosed. The greatest risk factors for developing prostate cancer are increasing age, family history, ethnicity and diet. All men should discuss testing for the disease with their doctor.
“I decided to take on the role of the NJ Race Director this year in hopes to give back to our patients, families and community. I want to be able to increase awareness and promote early detection,” Renee Haney, director of clinical research at Delaware Valley Urology and this year’s race director said. “ZERO and the race has a special place in my heart as I currently have a family member fighting the disease and have lost a loved one to the disease. I want to be a part of something bigger and fight alongside ZERO for future generations.”
The funds raised from the 2018 ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk — South Jersey are invested around the country to provide research for new treatments, free prostate cancer testing and to educate men and families about prostate cancer.
To learn more, register or to donate, visit http://www.zeroprostatecancerrun.org/nj.
