Kick-Start a Healthier Lifestyle with Spring Into Health 5K
The American Cancer Society Capital Area Service Center will host its first-ever Spring Into Health 5K Run/Walk. Proceeds from this event will benefit American Cancer Society research and local patient programs and services. The fundraising event, presented by Two Men and a Truck, will take place Saturday, April 10, at Hawk Island Park, 1601 E. Cavanaugh, in Lansing. The 5K run competition starts at 10 a.m., followed by the 5K walk at 10:05 a.m.
“Cancer is the number one health concern of Americans,” notes Kelly Powell, director for the American Cancer Society Capital Area Service Center in East Lansing. “Yet despite their concern for cancer, Americans are not well informed of cancer risk factors or choose not to follow important cancer prevention measures.”
According to Powell, while cancer remains a major health concern, everyone can take daily steps to reduce their risk of the disease. For those who do not smoke, weight control, exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve health and reduce cancer risk. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk for many forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancers and may account for 20 percent of cancer deaths in women and 14 percent in men.
A 2006 survey noted only eight percent of people understand that excess weight is strongly linked to cancer risk, while more than 80 percent know of the link between overweight and heart disease. Overweight and obesity are of particular concern in minority populations, with higher rates of both reported for Hispanic men and women and for African American women, than for non-Hispanic white adults.
Registration fee for the Spring Into Health 5K is $20 by April 5, or $25 from April 6 through race day. Participants who register by April 5 will receive a T-shirt. Shirts will be available for late and day-of registrants while supplies last. Registration on race day begins at 8:30 a.m., at the Red Tail Pavilion at Hawk Island Park. Packet pick up is available on race day from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at the pavilion.
To register, visit springintohealth.org or call Julie Graham at the American Cancer Society at (517) 664-1414. The course is 3.1 miles and includes two loops around the lake.
“The American Cancer Society is committed to help people lead longer, healthier lives and celebrate more birthdays by providing the information and tools they need to take charge of their health,” Powell says. “One way to begin a healthier lifestyle is to participate in the Spring Into Health 5K.”
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