Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

TUCSON - The Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona Cancer Center is sponsoring Melanoma Walk 2011 to highlight this deadly form of skin cancer and to raise funds for researching the disease.

Melanoma Walk 2011 will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Arizona Cancer Center at UMC North, 3838 N. Campbell Avenue. Teams are forming now. Proceeds from the 1.5-mile walk will stay in Arizona to support melanoma research, community outreach and education and patient care.

More than 300 participants raised $30,000 in the inaugural walk in 2009.

"The walk is a fun event that supports and honors those impacted by melanoma. Proceeds from the walk truly make a difference and impact the work we do to prevent, detect and treat skin cancer," said Heather Hiscox, the Skin Cancer Institute's program development coordinator.

The Skin Cancer Institute is the only skin cancer organization of its kind that unites patient care, research, outreach and education into one coordinated entity. It operates purely on grants and donations.

Activities on walk day include free skin screenings from dermatologists and skin professionals, prizes and giveaways, live music and entertainment and information from event sponsors.

Advanced registration is $25, and children under age 5 are free. A kickoff event will be held Aug. 31 at 6 in Kiewit Auditorium, Arizona Cancer Center, 1515 N. Campbell Avenue. The first 200 people to register for the walk will receive two passes to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

To find out more or to register, visit: fightmelanomatoday.org