—Posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Congratulations to all colon cancer survivors and families, team captains, Remembrance and Prevention walkers, 4M and 15K runners and EVERYONE else who turned out yesterday either physically or in spirit to make the 2009 New York Colon Cancer Challenge the largest and most successful Challenge to date. A crowd estimated at 10,000 including approximately 6000 runners, 1400 Remembrance and Prevention Walkers and thousands of supporters were there to send the message that colon cancer is — preventable, beatable, and treatable!

Special Thanks to: The New York Road Runners, The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, New York Presbyterian Hospital Weil Medical College of Cornell University, Ms Katie Couric, CBS and WCBS Channel 2, The Colon Cancer Alliance, NYC Health and C5, Matt’s Promise Foundation, The Wound Ostomy Nurse Association of New York, The American Cancer Society, Boy Scout Troop 160, NYPD Officer Jason Martinoff of the 13th Precinct (who sang “God Bless America” at the start of the 1.7 Mile Remembrance and Prevention Walk), Media Matters, Med Hudson, Bramswig Photography, TypeMatters Web Design, Sanofi-Aventis and the “Super Colon”, Oki Data, Olympus, Covidien, Emblem Health, Health Net North East, Andrade Architecture, Supply Chain Consultants, Jordan Trading Inc, the Central Park Conservancy, The City of New York and… everyone who traveled from FORTY THREE States and around THE WORLD to support the 6th Annual Colon Cancer Challenge. Thank You!

Keep an eye on this site… Photos of this year’s Challenge are already posted and more will follow. And we will continue to post information on our progress in the fight against colorectal cancer.

And please send us your thoughts and comments, and perhaps your favorite memories of the 2009 Colon Cancer Challenge event. We would like to be able to share them with others. Drop us a note at “comments@ColonCancerChallenge.org”.

Together we are making progress but 150,00 cases of colorectal cancer per year is 150,000 too many. Clearly, much remains to be done. Fundraising toward our 2009 goal continues. This web site will remain active through June 15th to join teams, make donations, obtain detailed status information for teams and individuals, and to send “e-blast” e-mails.

Finally, we should all take a moment to remember all those who are battling this disease and those who have lost the fight against colorectal cancer. It is their struggle and their strength that inspires us every day.

—Dr. Thomas K. Weber, MD