5K Dog Walk And Fun Run Events Mark National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month & 5th Anniversary Of Local Nonprofit

The Ovarian Cancer Awareness Organization (OCSA), led by executive director Vallie Szymanski and board president Marcy Twardak, invites cause supporters and their canine friends to walk together in an effort to raise money and awareness on Sunday, September 13th. Two 5K Dog Walk and Fun Run events, one in St. Charles and one in Niles, will mark OCSA’s fifth anniversary. Each steps off after opening ceremonies at 9:30AM.

In St. Charles, Scott Mackay, host of Mackay in the Mornings on 95.9 The River, emcees the event and introduces co-chairs and board members, Kris Junkas, DVM, Wright Animal Hospital; Alexis Newman, DVM, Partners and Paws Veterinary Services; and Blooming Color executive, Bryan Pieper. Opening ceremonies kick off with a color guard led by members of Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois Troop 4058 and the National Anthem sung by St. Charles resident Jennifer Mamminga. Event participants also include K9 officer Erin, the first and only police Bloodhound in Kane County, and her handler Deputy Nick Wolf from the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, The Good Humour Man, and Midwest Greyhound Adoption along with adoptable retired greyhounds.

The event will be held at Leory Oakes Forest Preserve, Shelter #1, located at 37W700 Dean Street in St. Charles, IL starting at 8:30AM with ceremonies kicking off at 9:30AM, 5K Dog Walk & Fun Run at 10AM and Lunch at 11AM. Cost for the event includes a t-shirt, lunch and teal bandannas for the participating dogs (Adults $35; Students $25; Children $20; Scounts $10; Dogs $10). Buy tickets HERE.

OCSA’s unique awareness campaign is designed to share the silent symptoms of this deadly disease in an innovative program called the Veterinary Outreach Program (VOP). The late co-founder, Susan Roman, believed her own dog alerted her to the cancer which eventually took her life and the idea to tie dogs and this mission together evolved into a unique awareness campaign. The VOP now partners with veterinarians around the state who also spread awareness about the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer through symptom checklists provided by OCSA. The program is supported by key partners in the medical community including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the One Health Commission.

Funds raised support the VOP and an internship at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center’s program training dogs to “sniff out” cancer odorants in tissue and plasma affected by the disease in hopes of creating a new diagnostic test for early detection.

About the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization (OCSA)

OCSA is a Section 501 (c) (3) charitable organization founded in 2010 to educate women and their families about the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer and the need for early detection and treatment. Donations to OCSA are tax deductible as a charitable gift. For questions concerning tax deductibility, please consult a tax advisor. Follow the accomplishments and find key information about this cause on Facebook at OCSAChicago, on Twitter @ocsachicagoorg, or visit www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org.