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The community has the opportunity to lace up its walking, or running shoes this weekend to help raise money for colorectal cancer.
The 11th annual Scope for Hope 5K run, 2-mile walk and kids fun run will take place at Jaycee Park, 4215 Southeast 20th Place, Saturday, March 26. Registration opens at 7 a.m. with the race stepping off at 8 a.m. Registration is $40 race day for all ages.
In addition to the run and walk, Race Director and Partners in Care Foundation Director Kathy Toletino said they are hoping to have the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in attendance.
There also will be face painting, a balloon artist and the Calendar Girls will perform.
The Scope for Hope event is the brainchild of Dr. Janette Gaw of the Colorectal Institute and one of her patients. She and Toletino got together 11 years ago to plan some type of event for patients. Since then 720 patients have been helped, along with almost $375,000 raised.
"It is a good program," Toletino said.
She said this will be the first event they will hold since the foundation went through a major rebranding this past year.
Community Cancer Education Inc. was formally 21st Century Care before it went through its rebranding to Partners in Care Foundation. The organization has been part of the community since 2007.
The race this Saturday is the first out of COVID.
"Like everybody, as much as people want to get out, there is a little of a fear factor," she said. "We are anticipating our numbers might be down a little bit, hopefully not a lot."
The Scope for Hope 5K race previously was held at the Twins complex in Fort Myers.
"When COVID hit and when the county shut down, it was very hard to even attempt to try to get a permit. I love Jaycee Park. I think it is beautiful," Toletino said, adding that they held their Head & Neck Cancer A Hard Thing to Swallow run there last year with a limited number of attendees.
The second most common cancer is colorectal, which is preventable, treatable and beatable.
The funds raised from the race will stay local to Southwest Florida.
"We have a lot of people who really need assistance in the area. The colorectal funds are allocated for screening for those people in need of assistance," she said.
A great deal of their patients are referred by regular physicians. From there they fill out a simple application that can be done online. Toletino said once approved, usually within 72 hours of receiving the application, they go to Gastroenterology Associates of Southwest Florida, or the Colorectal Institute for screening.
The money raised for the Head & Neck race, which will be held again on April 30, at Jaycee Park, is allocated for those who have already been diagnosed and are in need of speaking devices, paying for copays and speech therapy.
"We are hoping this year to grow the foundation. We are growing our board and trying to expand our Head and Neck program," she said.
The program will go outside of the region for the first time in five states this April.
For more information, visit www.yourpartnersincare.org.