Thank you! We were overwhelmed by the participation in our first annual Butts and Guts 5K Race and Walk. More than 400 people came out to raise colon cancer awareness and we are profoundly grateful. A special thank you to the approximately 40 cancer survivors who came out to run/walk. (View a complete photo album of the event here.)
Thanks, also, to our race partner, Stinky Feet Athletics, and sponsors who came together to make this inaugural run happen. We can’t wait to see what next year holds although this year might be hard to beat. Seriously, when you have an 87-year-old participant finish the race, on a walker, how can you top that? She was a reminder to all who saw her that it is the people who truly make Mississippi a great place to live and work. It is the people who motivate the staff of GI Associates to do what we do every day.
An Important Message
Mississippi is lagging behind the national average for the percentage of the eligible population being screened for colon cancer. Unfortunately, we are ahead in colon cancer deaths. Those statistics go hand in hand. Events like the Butts and Guts 5K can have a positive effect on those numbers. It seems simplistic but it’s true. If you can lighten the mood and make people laugh, they might be more open to hearing the message. And what better way to lighten the mood than seeing groups of people heading down the road with a foam rear end?
The team at GI Associates has an important message for the people of Mississippi. Colon cancer is highly curable and one of the most easily preventable cancers around. How do you prevent colon cancer? Get screened with a routine colonoscopy. Regular screening at the recommended intervals (these vary per person) allows your gastroenterologist to find and remove polyps before they can become cancerous. It really is that easy. Did you know that when you turn 50, a colonoscopy is covered by insurance 100% because it’s a screening? There’s no need to wait!
A Call To Action
Awareness is important, but it is nothing without action. If you are at least 50 years of age, with no symptoms or elevated risk factors, and have not been screened for colon cancer, now is the time to make an appointment with one of the specialists at GI Associates.
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