Each year, Richmond hosts the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k sponsored by Sports Backers. The race is held to help support VCU Massey Cancer Center as well as Virginia 529. Runners have the opportunity to raise money for these charities. This year, I will be raising money for VCU Massey Cancer Center and am currently training for the 10k race.
The cancer center was established on the Medical College of Virginia campus by the VCU Board of Visitors in 1974. After receiving its first grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Walter Lawrence Jr. was named principal investigator of the cancer center, which was later renamed VCU Massey Cancer Center after donors William and Evan Massey. Over the years, VCU Massey Cancer Center has hosted many directors dedicated to providing excellent patient care. The cancer center is currently one of the 69 in the United States that is NCI-designated and specializes in breast cancer, lung cancer, cancers of the brain and nervous system and other forms of aggressive and rare cancers such as acute leukemia and pancreatic cancer.
The center treats 15,000 patients annually through chemotherapy and radiation treatment, surgical procedures and bone marrow transplants.
The center then established a research facility, the Goodwin Research Laboratory, in 2006, and later opened an inpatient oncology unit and the Massey Research Pavilion. The research team is composed of nearly 200 researchers and faculty from all of the center’s affiliates such as select VCU academic departments. Research projects are focused on questions regarding cancer cell signaling, cancer cell molecular genetics, cancer prevention and control and many others. Their research is often translated to one of the 100 or so clinical trials.
After registering for the race, it became known to me that the no portion of my registration fee would be allocated to the noble efforts of VCU Massey Cancer Center. The registration fee is time sensitive; as the race rears, the price increases. It covers the race-day packet and the event following the race. For this reason, racers are encouraged to create a “Team Massey” online fundraising page or conduct and old fashioned fundraiser themselves. On this page, one can find donation links, leave encouraging notes to the runners, social media links and other information about the cancer center and fundraising. I customized my personal page, which includes the pre-written greeting generated by the race coordinators and images of me during my last race. I am currently $55.00 away from my donation goal of $100.00, which you can also see on my racer page.
For those less interested in running and fundraising, there are other volunteer and donation opportunities. Volunteer activities include bag check, course marshal, post-race area assistant, start area assistant and many other positions. To donate, visit the Sports Backers donation page and select the specific program to which you wish to donate or visit my personal page. To find out more about VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, visit the Sports Backers website or blog.