The 2022 Cures for the Colors Color Run fundraiser brought in $60,000 this past weekend.
The event was held at Wayne Community College with more than 500 participants taking part in a timed 5K, an untimed 5K and a 1-mile fun run/walk. It was sponsored by Southeastern Cancer Care, part of Southeastern Medical Oncology Center.
“This was such a wonderful event,” said Emma Barnes, community development coordinator for SMOC. “It was so good to be back after two years off because of COVID-19. So many different groups came out in support of people battling cancer.
“Some families walked together wearing special shirts to honor their family member who had cancer. Others were proud to run through the color power with the hope that one day there will be a cure for all cancer types.”
The fundraiser began in 2011 to help cancer patients have food on the table, buy gas for their car to go to treatments, pay utility bills and help with the high cost of cancer medicines.
“A group of doctors from SMOC were seeing their patients, and saw the need for some patients to have some extra help while they were going through cancer,” Barnes said.
“They were seeing patients who had life savings and had planned well just get wiped out by cancer because treatments can be several thousands of dollars. If you’re coming in each week for treatment, having to spend that much can quickly wipe out savings or a fixed income.”
Although insurance offers some programs to help with treatment costs, a lot of cancer patients are still stretched thin.
“So the SMOC doctors wanted to help, and started the nonprofit SCC Cures for the Colors to originally help just their patients,” Barnes said.
“Over the years, it has expanded to where we were able to help anybody that lives in eastern North Carolina. They don’t have to be a patient at SMOC.”
The name of the fundraiser, Cures for the Colors, came about because of all the colors of the different cancers.
· By News Argus staff
· Sep 15, 2022