Community Corner

Multiple Myeloma Foundation Tri-State 5K Walk/Run on Sunday in New Canaan

To register for the 5K, sign up on the event website before June 6 [...] or sign up onsite at the event on June 8 at 7:30 a.m.

The 11th Annual Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Race for Research: Tri-State 5K Walk/Run will be held at New Canaan High School (NCHS) this Sunday, June 8, 2014, with the pre-race program starting at 8:30 a.m.

The MMRF is a leading cancer research foundation dedicated to the relentless pursuit and acceleration of new treatments to extend the lives of patients and lead to a cure of multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer.

The MMRF Race for Research: Tri-State 5K Walk/Run is the cornerstone event of the MMRF race program.

Kathy Giusti, a New Canaan resident, established the MMRF in 1998 after her diagnosis with multiple myeloma. In 2013, this impressive local event had more than 1,500 participants who raised more than $335,000 to support the urgent work of the MMRF.

“It is so gratifying to see so many caring people in my home town commit to this race to raise much needed funds for this little known disease,” said Kathy Giusti, Founder and CEO of the MMRF. “All of us at the MMRF are grateful for the continued support from our local community, our close friends and the New Canaan High School students who make this such a meaningful and fun program as we work harder than ever to accelerate new treatments for myeloma.”

All local residents are invited to participate in the MMRF Race for Research: Tri-State 5K Walk/Run. To register for the 5K, sign up on the event website before June 6 at www.themmrf.org/tristate5k or sign up onsite at the event on June 8 at 7:30 a.m. More than 300 New Canaan residents are already registered to participate in this year’s race.

The MMRF is proud to be honoring Mark Herzlich on race day with the MMRF Courage and Commitment Award. Herzlich is a linebacker for the New York Giants and a bone cancer survivor. He will be signing his new book, What it Takes: Fighting for My Life and My Love of the Game, from 8:00-8:30 a.m.

Guided by Lou Marinelli, head coach of the NCHS varsity football team, the NCHS community has united in support of this program to benefit the MMRF. In 2010, Marinelli created a New Canaan Rams team for the 5K after several families of team members were affected by multiple myeloma. NCHS Football increased their support in 2012 by adopting the MMRF as the team’s official charity beneficiary. More than 30 people have already registered to join the New Canaan Rams Football team for the 2014 race.

“Funds raised through the MMRF Race for Research Program help accelerate our mission of finding a cure for multiple myeloma,” said Giusti. “You have stood beside us as we launched a revolution in precision medicine where we unveiled our unprecedented Gateways—harnessing big data and sharing that information in an open access world where patients have become empowered in driving toward their own cures.”
The MMRF also is extending an invitation for local residents to join in their additional upcoming events in the Tri-State area, which includes teams for the New York Triathlon on August 3, 2014 and the TCS New York City Marathon on November 2, 2014. To participate, support, or learn more about all MMRF events, please visit: www.themmrf.org/events.

About Multiple MyelomaMultiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is the second most common blood cancer. An estimated 24,050 adults (13,500 men and 10,550 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2014 and an estimated 11,090 people are predicted to die from the disease. The five-year survival rate for multiple myeloma is approximately 43%, versus 28% in 1998.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) was established in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy Giusti, soon after Kathy's diagnosis with multiple myeloma. The mission of the MMRF is to relentlessly pursue innovative means that accelerate the development of next-generation multiple myeloma treatments to extend the lives of patients and lead to a cure.

As the world's number-one private funder of multiple myeloma research, the MMRF has raised $250 million since its inception and directs nearly 90% of total budget to research and related programming. As a result, the MMRF has been awarded Charity Navigator’s coveted four-star rating for 11 consecutive years, the highest designation for outstanding fiscal responsibility and exceptional efficiency. For more information about the MMRF, please visit: www.themmrf.org.


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