Eighth Annual HERA Climb4Life Utah Slated for Sept. 17–20

July 20, 2009 - PRLog -- DENVER, COLO.  Registration is under way for the Eighth Annual HERA Climb4Life Utah, to be held Sept. 17–20, 2009. The rock climbing fund-raising event for the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation, presented and hosted by Black Diamond Climbing Equipment, located at 2084 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, raised over $100,000 in 2008 for HERA’s ovarian cancer research and awareness programs.  The $75 event registration fee includes two days of climbing with professional athletes in the Wasatch Mountains, climbing instruction for beginners by Exum Utah, yoga classes, massage, a tribute to HERA Founder Sean Patrick, parties, and a goodie bag. Various event activities, including on-site registration, are held at Black Diamond’s campus. Registration is limited, so climbing event participants are encouraged to register early at www.herafoundation.org/SLC.

The HERA Climb4Life Utah event is open to women, men and children and no rock climbing experience is necessary.  There is a $125 fundraising minimum for participants and those who raise $750 or more will be entered into a coveted gear raffle. Special prizes will also be awarded to the top individual and team fund-raisers as well as those who reach the $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 levels. The HERA Foundation provides participants with fund-raising tools, including sample letters and the ability to create fund-raising web pages on the non-profit’s registration website. More information is available at www.herafoundation.org.

President/CEO of Black Diamond Climbing Equipment, Peter Metcalf, says, “To be the host of the HERA Climb4Life Utah event is an honor we look forward to each year. I think everyone leaves here more empowered in the ability to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others.”

To reach a greater number of people and increase awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms, HERA is partnering with the University of Utah Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Montrail, maker of trail running and hiking footwear, to present the Third Annual Susan Sandoval Run for Ovarian Cancer on Saturday, Sept. 19th. The running event that starts in Sugarhouse Park (1330 East 2100 South) in Salt Lake City offers participants a 1.5-mile and 3-mile course option, as well as a 1.5-mile walk; all events begin at 8:00 a.m. Registration for the event is $20 for adults and $10 for children (under 12), and each participant receives a t-shirt and goodie bag. Participants are encouraged to register on-line at https://secure.uuhsc.utah.edu/ssrun/registration.  Last year’s event attracted 300 participants and raised over $10,000, which is being used to educate and improve the care of women diagnosed with gynecologic cancers while focusing on innovative research in this field.  For more information, please contact Renee Chase at renee.chase@hsc.utah.edu or visit http://medicine.utah.edu/obgyn/SSRun/index.htm.

“This is the perfect opportunity for climbers and non-climbers who want to help raise funds for ovarian cancer research and awareness programs to get involved,” says Maile Buker, who joined forces with Sean Patrick eight years ago and is currently HERA’ s board president.  “We want to spread the message of HERA to all women, and this presents another chance to reach healthy, active women. Ovarian cancer is a disease that can affect anyone, and the more women we reach, the more lives we can save.”

The HERA Climb4Life Utah, the signature event of the current three-city HERA Climb4Life series, and the Susan Sandoval Run for Ovarian Cancer take place in September, which is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. These events also serve as a platform to bring awareness to the women of Utah, which is a significant region in the country for ovarian cancer initiatives. From 1994 to 2004, roughly 825 Utah women died of ovarian cancer, making it the state’s leading cause of female genital-related cancer death. 1

On a national level, Johns Hopkins University reports that 1 in 57 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. With early detection, more than 90 percent will survive. Currently, only 24 percent of ovarian cancer is caught early. 2

HERA Climb4Life Seven Summit Sponsors:
Arc’teryx, Black Diamond Climbing Equipment, BlueWater Ropes, Evolv, FoxRiver, Guyot Designs, MadRock Climbing, Montrail (Visionary Sponsor), Mountain Hardwear, Omega Pacific, Patagonia, Petzl, prAna, REI, Rock & Ice, Sea to Summit, SMC, Stonewear Designs, Trail Runner Magazine, The North Face, and Women’s Adventure Magazine.  

Salt Lake City Sponsors: Centered City Yoga, Cory Mon and the Starlight Gospel, DJ Juggy, Front Climbing Gym, Gear Loop Topos, Liberty Heights Fresh, Mill Creek Coffee, Misty Murphy, Momentum, REI, Rico’s. Rockreation, Skullcandy, Trio, U of U Digi Labs, Utah Mountain Adventures, XYIENCE


About the HERA Foundation
The HERA Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3, whose mission is to stop the loss of women and girls to ovarian cancer by empowering women to take control of their health, empowering the medical community to find new directions in ovarian cancer research and empowering communities to provide support. HERA is an acronym for Health, Empowerment, Research and Awareness.  For more information, visit www.herafoundation.org.