The 2nd Annual Florida Brain Cancer 5K
March 6, 2011 at John Prince Park
On March 6th, the community will walk and run together at John Prince Park in Lake Worth for a good cause, finding a cure for brain cancer. We were fortunate to have Danielle Rosenzweig from Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2) and Jody Greenspon, an avid supporter of the cause and 5K walker, to answer a few questions.
AW: Tell us about the 2nd Annual Florida Brain Cancer 5K at John Prince Park on March 6th.
DR: The Florida Brain Cancer 5K is a family friendly 5K Walk/Run, open to participants of all fitness levels. Beyond the 5K itself we have a number of wonderful activities and exhibits, most notably the Survivors’ Tribute, Wall of Hope, Kids Fun Run, Family Fun Zone (arts and crafts, moon bounce and rock climbing wall) and the “Hidden Under Our Hats” travelling hat exhibit. Finally to close out the event we have a moving Awards Ceremony that includes a moment of silence and recognition of our top fundraising teams and individual fundraisers.
AW: How will the 2nd Annual Brain Cancer 5K walk be different from the first one last year?
DR: This year’s Florida Brain Cancer 5K will be bigger and better than last year. Not only will we have more participants and teams, but we have also added a number of great exhibitors into local running stores, chiropractors, and local cancer centers. We also have a great band joining us this year, Vanilla Monk, who will be providing live entertainment throughout the event. One of the most exciting additions to the event is a free pancake breakfast that will take place immediately following the 5K.
AW: Is there a fundraising goal for this year’s race?
DR: Last year, thanks to the amazing hard work and support of all of our participants, we raised an unbelievable $91,000 by event day and a total of $116,000 by the end of the campaign. This year we are hoping to have over $100,000 raised by event day and $150,000 raised by the end of the campaign. It will take some work, but we are confident that we can count on our supporters to help us achieve this exciting goal!
AW: Jody, how did you become passionate about this cause?
JG: In January 2006, my father lost his battle with an aggressive brain 
tumor. While it has been just over five years since he passed away, the pain and sadness I feel from losing him is just as strong today. This disease has robbed my family of so many experiences we had looked forward to. My son, Jacob Irwin is named in my Dad’s memory, and I think all the time about what great friends they would have been, and how much they would have loved each other. I know first-hand how a diagnosis of brain cancer sends a shock wave through the families of those affected, and that is why it is so important to raise money to support research for a cure and better treatments. Brain cancer is a devastating disease on so many levels and I hope that my support of this event can help others in similar circumstances. It’s comforting to think that my Dad is looking down on me and feeling proud that I am doing this in his memory. I think it says a lot about the kind of person and great father he was.
AW: What’s something people might not know about brain cancer that’s important for them to know?
DR:
· The average life expectancy for an individual diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer, is only 12-15 months.
· Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death among children and young adults.
· Brain tumors cannot be prevented because their causes are currently unknown.
· Over the next twelve months more than 200,000 in the US will be diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.
AW: Tell us more about the organization ABC2 and how donations make a difference.
DR: ABC² believes that a nimble, focused and aggressive entrepreneurial model will increase the number of therapies discovered and then enable those therapies to be more rapidly driven into the clinic. We provide researchers with the pivotal support they need to make critical breakthroughs and fund novel translational research aimed at finding the fastest possible route to a cure for brain cancer. Donations to support ABC² allow important translational projects to get off the ground and make important pre-clinical breakthroughs that will later benefit clinical trials and patients.
AW: Tell us about the “Wall of Hope” at the event.
JG: The Wall of Hope is a wall of photos of survivors, as well as those who lost their battle, which is displayed at the event. The Wall of .
Hope provides individuals with the opportunity to recognize the people who they are honoring through their participation in the Florida Brain Cancer 5K – whether they are participating in celebration of a survivor or in memory of a friend or loved one
DR: Throughout the year, the Hidden Under Our Hats Exhibit will be displayed at various cancer centers, conferences and fund raisers across the country. The exhibit is made up of hats provided by brain tumor patients, both who have passed and those who are still fighting. Patients have written their name, age at diagnosis, type of brain tumor, date of diagnosis, and date of passing (if applicable). The exhibit is very powerful and will hopefully help increase public awareness and lead to a cure. Patient/Survivor participants at the Florida Brain Cancer 5K will have the opportunity to add their hat to the exhibit.
AW: According to you, what’s the best thing about this 5K walk/run?
JG: There are a lot of great things about this event. First of all, I love that this is something fun we can do as a family, as there are many activities aside from the walk/run that take place that are geared towards kids and adults alike. I also really appreciate that we can do something right here in Palm Beach County that will help cancer patients and their families all over the world. The money that we raise will help fuel ground breaking research, much of which is taking place in Florida, so it gives a lot to be proud of. And I do feel that this helps keep my Dad’s memory alive. It would be very easy for me to say that I just want to move on with my life and not think about what we went through. But this event is not just a morning run or another fundraiser. It is a celebration of my Dad and every other patient who has battled or is battling brain cancer, and that is the most important reason to get involved.
I hope to see a great turnout at this year’s event! More information is available at www.fbc5k.org.
If you have a question or would like more information about the Florida Brain Cancer 5K, please contact florida5k@abc2.org or call us at 202-419-3144.