New 5K in Memphis Supports Lung Cancer Survivors

Survivors, Advocates and Caregivers to Participate in 5K for Lung Cancer

Baptist Memorial Health Care is a sponsor for the 1st Annual Your Next Step is the Cure Memphis 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, April 21. The event, which takes place at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, Tennessee, invites participants to show their support for lung cancer patient services and research benefitting lung cancer. Baptist doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers are excited to celebrate lung cancer survivors, as well as raise funds and awareness for the disease.

A Region Touched by Lung Cancer

For Dr. Raymond Osarogiagbon, director of the Thoracic Oncology Research Program at Baptist and event chair for the race, lung cancer awareness is essential to improving patient care, especially in the Mid-South. “Lung cancer is more prevalent in Tennessee than almost anywhere else in the United States,” said Osarogiagbon, who came to Baptist to study lung cancer solutions, many of which are now adopted worldwide. “The Mid-South is at the center of the lung cancer mortality belt in America.” Osarogiagbon encourages all people touched by lung cancer to attend the event—from survivors and their families to doctors and community activists across the region. Participants can run, jog or walk. Snacks and refreshments will be available at the end of the event. For those who are not registered but would like to be, it’s not too late. “On the day of the event, people who are preregistered will be able to come in at 8 a.m.,” said Osarogiagbon. “Those who are not registered will be able to register on-site at 7:30 a.m.”

Baptist Champions Survivorship

As the leading health care provider in the region, Baptist has stepped forward to establish events and programs that can help enhance the quality of care that patients receive. This 5K is an important opportunity for Baptist to help further lung cancer research and Bonnie J. Addario’s passion for raising a patient’s voice in decision-making and lung cancer advocacy. “This opportunity is a means of reaching out to our patients, reaching out to our communities, reaching out to the doctors and many different people who have a stake in lung cancer to grow awareness of the possibilities of survivorship,” said Osarogiagbon, who serves on the board of the Bonnie J. Addario Center of Excellence Program. Funds from the event will support various Addario Foundation initiatives and programs, such as patient education handbooks and the Lung Cancer Living Room, a Q&A with medical experts that is televised and webcast worldwide. What can participants and volunteers expect after the race is finished? Osarogiagbon wants lung cancer survivors to come together for a group photo or video interview to give testimony to their lung cancer journey and help shine a light for others in the future. “One of the things we want to be able to achieve with this event is to bring together as many lung cancer survivors as possible,” he said. “I want to bring the face of lung cancer survivorship out in the open so everybody can see it.” Preregister for the event or donate to an individual or team to show your support. Learn more about the Bonnie J. Addario Foundation and Baptist Cancer Center.