Join the UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge in the fight against cancer

Second annual ride, run and walk event will be held May 19 at Great Park

The second annual UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge to benefit lifesaving research at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center will be held Saturday, May 19, 2018 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Participants will ride, run, walk or volunteer to help us move one step closer toward finding cures for a disease that touches all. The Anti-Cancer Challenge will also host two pre-race rallies at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point for those interested in learning more about the event.

The Anti-Cancer Challenge is a community movement to raise awareness and funds for cancer research at Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center. More than 6,000 people attended 2017’s inaugural event, and 2,000 people participated in cycling rides across Orange County and a 5K run/walk through Angel Stadium. The event raised more than $600,000.

Event proceeds will directly fund lifesaving cancer research at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is at the forefront of advancing new treatments to fight cancer. One of only 49 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center combines leading-edge research, clinical trials and world-class care for patients.

“A strong research base, in particular, helps drive progress in extending survival and improving quality of life for cancer patients,” said Richard A. Van Etten, MD, PhD., director of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. “It is our mission to translate the findings of basic research into treatments that can benefit patients.”

“Institutions lacking their own research base can follow and adopt advances developed elsewhere, but they cannot lead in the same way as NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers that integrate research with clinical care,” Van Etten said.

In recent years, UCI faculty have led practice-changing research and clinical trials that have extended survival in lung cancer, cervical cancer and metastatic breast cancer and have called attention to the significant disparities that exist in access to the best treatments for ovarian cancer.  
Event sponsors include Monarch Beach Resort, Monster Energy, Hensel Phelps, Lynn Capouya, Inc., Pfizer Oncology, Anaheim Ducks/Honda Center, DPR Construction, Kitchell, and Ruby’s Diner.

Pre-race rallies

The Anti-Cancer Challenge will host two rally events. Rally events are free and open to the public to learn more about the Anti-Cancer Challenge Event, but registration is required. Participants will start their morning off at the Monarch Beach Resort refresher station. Warm up and cool down with Miraval Life in Balance Spa instructors. Participate in a training ride and run led by Fleet Feet and Bike Religion. Grab a light bite, juice and enjoy good company when you return.

• The first event will be held on at 7:00 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 at The Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif. Click here to register.
• The second rally event will be on at 7:00 a.m., Saturday, April 14, 2018 at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif. Click here to register.

For more information, visit Anti-CancerChallenge.org

Media Contact:
John Murray |714-456-7759 | jdmurray@uci.edu

About the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center: The UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Orange County, which is the sixth most populous U.S. county and home to more than 1 percent of the nation’s people. Now entering its 21st year, the center is a vital resource for the people of Orange County and surrounding areas for generation and dissemination of new knowledge about the causes, prevention, and treatment of cancer, training of the next generation of cancer providers and caregivers, and alleviation of the overall burden of cancer on our citizens. In addition to its primary location at UC Irvine Medical Center campus in Orange, UCI delivers cancer care at the UCI Health Cancer Center – Newport and UCI Health Pacific Breast Care Center, both in Costa Mesa.

UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patien Test - acc releasets can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 417-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 17 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County.