5th Annual HERA Climb4Life Metro D.C. Raises Over $20,000 for Ovarian Cancer Research

April 1, 2010 - PRLog -- DENVER, COLO. The HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation (Health, Empowerment, Research, Awareness) completed another successful Climb4Life event with the help of countless volunteers and over 180 participants.  The non-profit’s Fifth Annual Climb4Life Metro D.C., held March 13 to March 21, 2010, raised over $20,000 for its ovarian cancer research and community grant programs and awareness initiatives.  Presented by REI and Sport Rock Climbing Centers, the indoor rock-climbing event was hosted by Sport Rock Climbing Center and Dancing Mind Yoga and included climbing clinics and instruction by professional athletes, raffles and kick-off and closing event celebrations.

Funds were raised through corporate sponsorship and the individual fundraising efforts of participants.  This year’s top fundraisers include Lisa O’Connor, Rhoda Krafchin and Judy Bradt, each who won an outdoor gear prize package.  The top three teams; Eyes in the Sky, Sportrock and MD Blue Tail Betty, raised an impressive combined total of over $10,000.  

“I never cease to be amazed and inspired by the amount of effort and heart put into each of these events by volunteers and participants.  The HERA Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to everyone involve with the event, including the many local and outdoor industry sponsors who continue to support HERA’s mission.” says Danni Lederman, HERA’s executive director. “The event in DC was successful and shows how when a community comes together to raise money for a cause, a change is possible and progress can be made.”

According to the American Cancer Society, one in 71 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her lifetime.  With early detection, 93 percent survive, yet currently less than 20 percent of incidents of ovarian cancer are caught while still in the early stages.  The mission of the HERA Foundation is to stop the loss of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, wives, partners and girlfriends from ovarian cancer. Funds raised support HERA’s cause, including the OSB1 Grant that’s awarded annually to Ph.D. and M.D. fellows at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston.

Recipients of the 2010 HERA OSB1 Research Grant as well as scientists from John Hopkins University attended the kick-off ceremony, which enabled event participants to understand how their fundraising efforts are impacting science related to ovarian cancer research.  A tribute was held for the late founder of the HERA Foundation, Sean Patrick, who passed away in January of 2009 due to complications related to ovarian cancer.

Upcoming Climb4Life events include Boulder, Colo., from June 11-12, 2010 and Salt Lake City, Utah from September 16-19, 2010. For more information, please visit www.herafoundation.org.

About the HERA Foundation
The HERA Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3, whose mission is to stop the loss of women and girls 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.

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The HERA Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3, The mission of the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation is to stop the loss of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, wives, partners and girlfriends from ovarian cancer.

www.herafoundation.org