We’re entering our second busiest time of the year as we prepare to host six Get Your Rear in Gear run/walks in September, six in October, and two in November!
We’re excited to celebrate 15 years of Get Your Rear in Gear – Seattle, Boston, and Milwaukee! And to introduce our two new Get Your Rear in Gears happening this October: El Paso and Cincinnati!
Fall Events
Get Your Rear in Gear – Indianapolis……………..9/6
Get Your Rear in Gear – New Hampshire………9/13
Get Your Rear in Gear – Seattle……………………9/20
Get Your Rear in Gear – Boston……………………9/20
Get Your Rear in Gear – Fort Collins……………..9/27
Get Your Rear in Gear – Milwaukee………………9/27
Get Your Rear in Gear – Columbus……………….10/4
Get Your Rear in Gear – El Paso…………………..10/4
Get Your Rear in Gear – Cincinnati……………..10/11
Get Your Rear in Gear – Twin Cities……………10/12
Get Your Rear in Gear – New York…………….10/19
Get Your Rear in Gear – Grand Rapids………..10/25
Get Your Rear in Gear – St. George……………..11/8
Get Your Rear in Gear – Houston………………..11/9
Key: Blue = Anniversary Orange = New Event
Seattle
Get Your Rear in Gear – Seattle, 2024
Get Your Rear in Gear – Seattle celebrates 15 years on Saturday, September 20, and holds a special place in our hearts as the event that inspired our Get Your Rear in Gear event series!
Before there was GYRIG or CCC, there was Susie Lindquist Mjelde, a woman diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. Just four months after her diagnosis, Susie, along with her family and friends, began a quest to stop the silence and misunderstanding around colon cancer. Susie printed t-shirts, and a massive group formed and participated in the Mercer Island Rotary Half Marathon event (Mercer Island, WA) with t-shirts that said: “Get Your Rear in Gear – Early Detection Saves Lives.”
After Susie passed away in 2002, her sister, Kristin, continued to participate in the race in her memory. However, Kristin dreamed of bringing “Get Your Rear in Gear” to her own community in Minneapolis, MN. That dream became a reality in 2005, with the very first official Get Your Rear in Gear event. And, as they say, the rest is history.💙
For the past 15 years, Get Your Rear in Gear – Seattle has raised funds to support a variety of local grants. Recent grants have focused on two important initiatives. The first is a research program exploring the causes of early-age onset colorectal cancer and ways to improve patients’ quality of life. The second is a summit that brings together experts and community members to share the latest research, build connections, and take action to address the increase in people diagnosed with CRC under 45.
Along with our wonderful community in Seattle, we’d like to thank Seattle’s presenting sponsor, Olympus Corporation of the Americas, for supporting us in the fight against colorectal cancer!
Boston
Get Your Rear in Gear – Boston, 2024
Also celebrating 15 years on September 20, Get Your Rear in Gear – Boston takes place at the beautiful park overlooking Carson Beach, and has been expertly led by Local Event Director, Brian Shelly, since 2010.
Brian first got involved with the Colon Cancer Coalition after his brother-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer in his 30s, and Brian hopes that the event will encourage all people to know the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer, talk with their families about screening, and get screened — not just those 45 and older.
“By talking openly about colon health and the importance of colon cancer screening,” says Brian, “more lives can be saved.”
Get Your Rear in Gear – Boston has also had some absolutely wonderful partnerships in its lifetime, most notably with The Family Van, Boston Health Care for the Homeless, and the Mattapan Community Health Center. These partnerships have directly helped the community in a way that’s unique to the needs of the Boston community to increase screening and awareness for colorectal cancer.
We’d also love to thank Olympus Corporation of the Americas once again for being Boston’s longtime presenting sponsor, Brian Shelly and his family for all that they do, the dedicated teams who have remained with us for 10+ years, and the Boston community as a whole. Thank you!
Milwaukee
Get Your Rear in Gear – Milwaukee 2019
Just one week later, on September 27, Get Your Rear in Gear – Milwaukee will be celebrating its 15th anniversary at Hart Park! Funds raised at Get Your Rear in Gear – Milwaukee go back to colorectal cancer patients in active treatment, as well as providing at-home FIT testing to patients with follow-up care and support for those who are in need of a colonoscopy.
Get Your Rear in Gear – Milwaukee is a team-driven race, so much so that this year we’re introducing the “Team Zone” where teams can meet and hang out at their own tables and tents before the race!
We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our incredible community in Milwaukee. Thank you to our Milwaukee family for continuing to show up and help us combat colorectal cancer in Wisconsin!💙
El Paso
Ascarate Park, Get Your Rear in Gear – El Paso Location
Local Event Director Rebecca Gutierrez is bringing Get Your Rear in Gear to the El Paso area for the inaugural Get Your Rear in Gear – El Paso event on October 4 at Ascarate Park in honor of her mother.
“I was helping my sister move into her new house when we received a call from my mom,” shares Rebecca. “She was just released from the emergency room, and it was confirmed that she had stage IV colon cancer.”
“We were blindsided by the news,” continues Rebecca. “Prior to my mother’s diagnosis, she exhibited no symptoms of the disease . . . This is the reason I decided to become a Local Event Director and start a Get Your Rear in Gear event in my community. The goal is to bring this event to El Paso to spread awareness and education on the symptoms of colon cancer, encourage screenings, and provide support for patients and families.”
“My mom was a loving soul with an infectious laugh, and always put others before herself,” concludes Rebecca. “I know she would be proud and honored to see this event take place in her community.”
We’re beyond excited that El Paso has joined the other amazing communities in our Get Your Rear in Gear family, as well as the four other fantastic Texas races, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness, funds, and screening rates within El Paso!
Cincinnati
Summit Park, Get Your Rear in Gear – Cincinnati Location
And last, but certainly not least, the Get Your Rear in Gear – Cincinnati inaugural event kicks off on October 11 at Summit Park, started by Dr. Andrew Chun.
“I’m a gastroenterologist in Cincinnati,” shares Dr. Chun, “and I currently serve as the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Governor for southern Ohio.” We’re incredibly grateful to have ACG as one of our national colon tour sponsors!
“I’m also a partner in GastroHealth, which is the largest GI group in southern Ohio. We plan to be a major sponsor of the event along with a local healthcare system or 2. Raising awareness for colon cancer and the screening that is available will be the cornerstone of reducing colon cancer deaths across our region.”
We want to give a big thank you to Dr. Andrew Chun and his colleagues at GastroHealth, the inaugural committee for Get Your Rear in Gear – Cincinnati — Tina, Robyn, Amy, Greg, and Kevin — as well as MercyHealth for their sponsorship!
And thank you to all of our national sponsors whose dedication and commitment to combating colorectal cancer have been instrumental in ensuring that Get Your Rear in Gear can continue to serve over 40 cities across the nation: American College of Gastroenterology, Bayer, Guardant Health, Merck, Olympus Corporation of the Americas, Sebela/Braintree, Taiho Oncology, Takeda Oncology, and Pfizer!
