3rd Annual Jodi's Race for Awareness Set for June 2

DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - May 24, 2012) - The 3^rd Annual Jodi's Race for Awareness, including a 5k Run/Walk and 1Mile Family Walk, will take place Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Denver's City Park, Colorado Boulevard and 23^rd Street.

Registration for the 2012 Jodi's Race for Awareness is underway online at www.colo-ovariancancer.org and continues until 11:59 p.m. May 30. Pre-event registration fees are $30 for adults; $25 for 12 & under, 60 & over, and survivors; and $100 for a Family 4-Pack. Race-day registration fees will be an additional $5 each. All registrants will receive a BornFit tech shirt.

Additionally, in-store registration (including shirt and bib) will be available May 16-30 at Boulder Running Company in Littleton (Bowles Ave.) and Greenwood Village (Arapahoe Rd.) as well as Runners Roost in Denver (Colorado Blvd.).

On June 2, on-site registration will begin at 7:00 a.m. in the City Park pavilions area, followed by the 5k Run/Walk at 8:00 a.m., 1Mile Family Walk at 8:10 a.m. and Awards Ceremony at 9:00 a.m. Awards for the 5k competition will include overall top three male and female; age groups 12 & under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 & over; and overall top three survivors.

A new addition to this year's schedule is a free Survivor's Breakfast beginning at 6:30 a.m. in the City Park Pavilion and provided by The Delectable Egg and The Fabulous Baker Girls. If you plan to attend, please RSVP online no later than Monday, May 28. Questions about the breakfast should be directed to Kay Martley at kay@colo-ovariancancer.org or (303) 756-4514.

The first Race for Awareness, in June 2010, was the inspiration of Jodi Brammeier, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008. A Colorado native, Brammeier believed she would have discovered the cancer earlier if she had been more aware of the symptoms. It became her goal to establish a race to raise awareness about ovarian cancer so that other women might find their cancer earlier and stand a chance to win against the deadly disease.

Unfortunately, Brammeier lost her battle with ovarian cancer August 3, 2010, less than two months after the inaugural event, which had a record number of participants for a first-time race. However, her memory lives on in the annual fundraiser for the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

All of the event's runners and walkers are encouraged to increase the impact of their participation by forming teams with their family, friends and coworkers, and taking the challenge to create a fundraising page on the 2012 Jodi's Race for Awareness website. Great prizes will be awarded to the top fundraisers.

Corporate sponsors for the 2012 Jodi's Race for Awareness include Alpine GMC, Amgen, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Cheryl Shackelford Foundation, CoBiz Financial, Copic, Elk Creek Lawn and Tree Care, Genentech, Hein & Associates, Highlands Ranch Travel, Noodles & Company, Ova1, Pinon Management, Red Mango, Remax, Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, Safeway, The Tea Spot and the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

In-kind sponsors include Colorado Runner, The Fabulous Baker Girls, Mix1, Rudi's Bagels, Coda Coffee, The Delectable Egg, Global Girlfriend, Luna Bars, Pepsi, Nordic Naturals and Sports Authority.

Media sponsors include Channel 7, Mix 100, Colorado Expression and Denver Life Magazine.

If you are interested serving as a volunteer for the event, contact Judith Martinez at jamarhar@msn.com.

About the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance (COCA)

The mission of COCA is to promote awareness about ovarian cancer through advocacy, education and support. COCA is a partner member of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA). COCA's goals are:

• To ADVOCATE for women with ovarian cancer, and for ovarian cancer awareness through participation in activities at the local, state and national levels.
• To EDUCATE women, families, doctors and health care providers about early detection of ovarian cancer through Survivors Teaching Students™ and COCA Speakers Bureau programs.
• To SUPPORT survivors through offering regular Nicki's Circle Ovarian Cancer Support Groups.

To learn more about COCA and its programs, visit www.colo-ovariancancer.org.

Ovarian Cancer Facts/Figures

• Every 40 hours one woman in Colorado dies from ovarian cancer.
• The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,280 women in the United States will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2012 and that 15,500 women will die from the disease.
• Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in females in the United States but it is the deadliest gynecologic cancer.
• There is no screening test for ovarian cancer, so being able to recognize the symptoms, leading to early detection, is critical to saving lives.
• Symptoms of ovarian cancer include suddenly-occurring and persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary urgency or frequency.
• The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and may not be specific or severe, so often women do not seek medical attention and health professionals fail to diagnose it early.