Hundreds will schlep across Leadbetter Beach in January to raise awareness for cancer research and treatment.
The Cheryl Diamond Santa Barbara 5K Schlep is sponsored by the American Friends of Rabin Medical Center, which supports the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel. Rabin Medical Center opened in 1996 and performs an estimated 57,000 radiotherapy and 38,000 chemotherapy treatments each year.
AFRMC has hosted annual cancer runs in New York for the last 10 years. They group is bringing its program to Santa Barbara for the first time on Jan. 12.
Proceeds will partially benefit the Breast Cancer Resource Center, 55 Hitchcock Way, Suite 101 in Santa Barbara, which provides information, personal support through peer-counseling, and referral services for women diagnosed with breast cancer or dealing with benign breast health issues.
The Schlep will also benefit the Rabin Medical Center’s BRCA Multidisciplinary Clinic, which provides screening and support services for people who carry mutated BRCA genes or genes associated with a high risk of developing breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m. on race day with pre-race yoga sponsored by Power of Your Om at 8:30 a.m.
The race will start at 10 a.m. with “nosh,” or food, provided by local sponsors afterwards.
ARFMC executive director Joshua Plaut said the organization’s ties to the area and strong local support for cancer research made Santa Barbara a natural choice for its first event on the West Coast.
“We felt that this community could benefit from our presence, perhaps more so than somewhere like Los Angeles,” said Mr. Plaut, who says ARFMC is planning to expand its program to a national and global scale.
“We’ve been embraced by our partners in the community and we’re hoping to make this the first of an annual event.”
“This event is going to raise awareness for this important issue, especially for those who can be screened for these BRCA genes before cancer develops and metastasizes,” Mr. Plaut said.
According to ARFMC statistics,10 percent of breast cancer patients carry a mutation in the BRCA genes. Women who carry the gene mutation have up to an 80 percent chance of developing cancer primarily of breast and ovarian origin and healthy people carrying a BRCA mutation are a high-risk population with unique needs, often overlooked by medical professionals.
Event sponsors include The Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, El Al Airlines, Congregation B’nai B’rith, Power Of Your Om, Blenders in the Grass, UCSB Hillel, California Property Group, The Spanish Garden Inn, the ADL, Fitness 805, Sol Wave Water, Patient Power, Bare Republic, Kona Ice and more.
Registration ends at 7 a.m. Jan. 11. Registration costs $36 (with a $3 sign-up fee) prior to the event or $45 on the day of the event.
To register or for more information visit https://5kschlep.com/.
email: pgonzalez@newspress.com
1 comment
What a great event
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