Pictured: Participants from 2017 Oral Cancer Walk for Awareness at Ala Moana Beach Park.
Special to UH Med, By Joanne Ebesu, Walk Coordinator
HONOLULU – On Sunday, September 9, 2018 the 2nd Annual Oral Cancer Foundation’s Walk for Awareness will be held in partnership with the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the Hawaii Dental Hygienists’ Association, and John A. Burns School of Medicine to raise awareness for the disease and raise monies for life-saving research. Scheduled to take place at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Campus Center, this event will honor local patients and survivors of oral cancer. Pre-registration is $30 for adults and FREE for oral cancer survivors.
Registration is now open online at https://donate.oralcancer.org/event/Hawaii2018
Sign-ups will also be accepted the day of the event starting at 8 a.m. for $35.
“Approximately 51,550 people in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancers in 2018. While some think this is a rare cancer, mouth cancers will be newly diagnosed in about 132 new individuals each day in the United States alone, and one person dies from oral cancer every hour of every day – making this an important health issue for our local community to be aware of and address,” said Joanne Ebesu, who is hosting the event and is also an oral cancer survivor.
Participants will have access to free oral cancer screenings by local dentists and surgeons from the Head and Neck Institute and Dental Clinic of the Queen’s Medical Center and other practices. Participants will receive an event t-shirt, enjoy a warm up with the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior Dancers, live music from several local bands, guest emcee Grace Lee, a silent auction and door prizes, in addition to complimentary snacks, kids’ activities, and more! Oral cancer survivors will speak about their battles with the disease and how they are thriving today. The first 200 walkers to arrive will receive a free goody bag!
Funds raised from this event will be donated to the Oral Cancer Foundation, supporting awareness initiatives and life-saving research. The community is encouraged to form teams or fundraise individually to aid in the fight against oral cancer! Anyone who raises $1,000 or more on their personal fundraising page will receive a $100 VISA gift card.
The Oral Cancer Foundation is a national public service, non-profit entity designed to reduce suffering and save lives through prevention, education, research, advocacy, and support activities. Check out www.oralcancer.org to learn more about risk factors, signs and symptoms, treatments, current research and current oral cancer related news, among other important information.
For more information on participating in the 2nd Annual Oral Cancer Foundation Walk for Awareness visit https://donate.oralcancer.org/event/Hawaii2018 or contact Joanne Ebesu at (808) 291-6824.