Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization 5K Dog Walk & Fun Run Set September 8th

ST. CHARLES, Ill. - Sept. 2, 2019 - PRLog -- Nearly 200 teal-clad supporters and dogs will gather at the Ninth Annual 5K Dog Walk & Fun Run benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness organization (OCSA) on September 8. The event raises funds for a unique One Health approach to educating pet owners and those who work with pets about the silent symptoms ovarian cancer. The nonprofit extends its education through veterinary clinic members and now through pet adoption shelters in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Scott Mackay, Mackay in the Mornings on 95.9 The River, emcees the event led by OCSA co-chairs, Kris Junkas, DVM, Wright Animal Hospital, Kurt Klepitsch, DVM, Gateway Veterinary Clinic and Alexis Newman, DVM, Partners and Paws Veterinary Services.  Opening ceremonies begin with a Color Guard led by members of American Legion Post 342, and the National Anthem will be sung by St. Charles resident Jennifer Mamminga.  Event participants also include K-9 Officers and handlers, Northwoods Humane Society, a new partner from Hayward, WI, Midwest Greyhound Adoption with adoptable, retired greyhounds, and Homes for Endangered and Lost Pets introduces adoptable kittens and puppies.

OCSA's awareness campaign helps reach a new audience by capturing the attention of pet owners in locations where they are already thinking of the health of a family member. The Veterinary Outreach Program (VOP) is a One Health approach that taps expertise from partners in the medical community including the AVMA, the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the One Health Commission. Funds raised at the OCSA 5K Dog Walk will support expansion of the VOP. Funds also support an internship at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center's program training dogs to 'sniff out' cancer odorants in plasma affected by the disease, ultimately seeking development of a new diagnostic test for early detection.

Annually, over 20,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and approximately 14,000 women die from the disease. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated in its earliest stages, the survival rate is over 90 percent. OCSA's mission is to expand public awareness about the symptoms of ovarian cancer in an effort to contribute to the early detection of this deadly disease, and by doing so, save lives.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Adults $35; Seniors $30; Dogs $10 (t-shirt, lunch, and teal bandanas for participating dogs included).

TICKETS: www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org/events

About the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization (OCSA)
OCSA is a Section 501 (c) (3) charitable organization founded in 2010 to educate women and their families about the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer and the need for early detection and treatment. Follow us on Facebook at OCSAChicago, on Twitter @ocsachicagoorg. Vist www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org.