More than a thousand race for women with ovarian cancer

CENTERVILLE, MA (Sept. 16, 2017) -- With a thick fog misting in from Nantucket Sound, hovering over the race course on Craigville Beach this morning at the start of the girlygirl P.A.R.T.S. 5K Run/Walk for Ovarian Cancer, the smiles and exuberance of more than 1,000 runners and walkers broke through the overcast weather like a shining light of hope for those women who are battling this deadly disease which takes two of every three women diagnosed.

Until an ovarian cancer pre-screening tool is developed, all women are at risk.

Laura Smith, who co-founded the annual event in 2008, was ecstatic about the turnout and support. They raised $165,000 with this year’s race and every nickel from the all-volunteer event will be going directly to the development of a pre-screening tool.

“Everyone here is so motivated and happy,” said Smith, who co-founded the race with her good friend Jill Di-Tommaso, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008. “There are a lot of emotions here. It feels very different this year, more people, more support. It’s great!”

Smith said they lost all of the women who had ovarian cancer and had participated in the first few years of the event, including Di-Tommaso, who lost her battle in December of 2015.

“If Jill were here today, she would be losing her mind, so happy about this turnout and support,” said Smith, a resident of Sandwich, MA. “This is something that was so dear to us. We started this race to help women. Jill didn’t want to be sick, didn’t want to die, didn’t want anyone else to die. That’s why we started this race and that’s why we are here today.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that 22,440 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017 and 14,080 will die from the disease, making it the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. This death rate is so high because according to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer does not have any obvious signs and symptoms until its later stages.

Kathy Hirst, a wife and mother of three grown children, was diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer in August of 2016 and is in her second round of the battle, currently in a clinical trial of two new drugs. She and her family attended last year’s event for the first time and returned this year to support the cause that has now become so personal.

“Last year after Kathy was first diagnosed and we came to the race, it felt a bit overwhelming because she wasn’t feeling well and it was all so new to us,” said Kathy’s husband Ken Hirst, who says the experience has really brought their family closer together. “This year, the turnout doubled from last year. That’s the biggest difference. There are a lot more.”

Ken Hirst, 53, ran the 5K race with an amazing time of 27 minutes with his daughter Stephanie, a recent graduate of the University of Connecticut, right behind him. Stephanie Hirst and 20 of her friends from college participated in the event, all wearing the girlygirl P.A.R.T.S shirts.

“They weren’t aware of ovarian cancer until my mom was diagnosed,” said Stephanie, the youngest of the three Hirst children. “When they arrived here, they were shocked by the number of people who are here today. It really gives all of us a lot of hope.”

The money raised from the girlygirl P.A.R.T.S 5K Run/Walk for Ovarian Cancer goes directly to a fund managed by Dr. Ursula A. Matulonis to research a pre-screening tool for ovarian cancer. Dr. Matulonis is the Medical Director and Program Leader of the Medical Gynecologic Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More information is available at www.girlygirlparts.org.