Posts tagged Awareness
On May 21, we Crunched Out Colon Cancer!
Jun 29th
Pat and Lauren Connors (Dartmouth, NS) brought us on a trip down memory lane with Crunch Out Colon Cancer, a fundraiser inspired by the fabulously campy 8 Minute Abs. This event was put on in memory of Jim Connors, hero and loving father to Pat and Lauren. Jim lost his life to colon cancer.
Why they raised money:
“To keep our father’s legacy—of dedication to his community and to those in need—alive. [T]o spread a message that Colon Cancer is treatable and beatable—when caught early through screening. All proceeds will be shared between the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society.”
How they did it:
Through an abs-athon, of course! Lauren and Pat (and friends!) did a grueling session of 8 minute abs (above) for every $80 raised. With so much community support for the event, we bet their obliques are now anything but weak!
Check out the pics from the event- we hear it was a whole six-pack of fun!

A cheeky eyeful for Toronto, ON and Laval, QC
Apr 1st
Behold, the fabulous “butt bus” currently making the rounds in Toronto and Laval. We launched these extra special additions to our GetYourButtSeen campaign to celebrate Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 2011. Can’t wait to come up with next year’s cheeky scheme!
Many thanks to Ogilvy Montreal, the creators of this daring (and fun!) campaign; to our partners at Hill & Knowlton for assisting with media outreach; to the Toronto Transit Commission and the Societé de Transport de Laval for approving the risqué designs; to CBS Outdoor and MetroMedia Plus for your impeccable service ; and to Dr. Alain Sotto, a true trailblazer in the world of workplace colon cancer prevention and screening programs (can’t wait to tell you more about the work he’s done for the TTC!)
After the cut, see some pics of our media events in each city and just a glimpse of the press we got!
Browse the gallery of our 2011 print/image category Public Service Announcement Contest entries!
Apr 1st
Cue Vivaldi’s Four Seasons– these works of art astound us!
Be sure to visit www.ccacpsa.com to vote on your favourites! Simply assign each entry a star rating (out of five). Don’t forget the video and audio categories!
The Kick Butt Run team raises awareness at the Manitoba legislature
Mar 25th
On March 23rd, members of the Kick Butt Run committee descended upon the Manitoba legislature to spread colorectal cancer awareness and distribute CCAC educational materials.
Missed the event? The Kick Butt Run team is hoping to see you at THE GIANT COLON during the Royal Winter Fair in Brandon, Manitoba from the 27th of March to the 2nd of April! Stay tuned for details about this enormously entertaining educational event.
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You can now register for this year’s Kick Butt Run online! Visit kickbuttrun.com for race details.

International Women’s Day- and the truth about colorectal cancer & women
Mar 8th
It’s one of the myths we constantly have to debunk- the truth is, colorectal cancer isn’t just “a man’s disease.” Women account for approximately 45% of CRC cases and CRC deaths.
Take Canada for instance- last year an estimated 22,500 Canadians (12,400 men – 10,100 women) were diagnosed. In total, 9100 Canadians (4,100 of them women) lost their lives. Source: Canadian Cancer Society: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010.
In a disease where early screening saves lives, how can we afford to let nearly half our population remain in the dark?
Help us celebrate International Women’s Day. Teach a woman you care about that healthy lifestyle choices can decrease her risk of colorectal cancer. If she’s over 50 or experiencing symptoms, urge her to get screened. Remind her that taking steps to prevent colorectal cancer may prolong her life and allow her to continue to celebrate the achievements of women well into her elder years.
March 8 is International Women’s Day, and 2011 marks the 100-year anniversary of this yearly celebration of women. Click here to learn more.

This group wants YOU to “Have a Sexy Day”
Mar 7th
“When the doctor told me I could count this as the luckiest day of my life, I realized that this cause I was working on all along was going to take on a deeper meaning for me, and I was going to have to do something about it.” Julie Bernard
The words of Julie are what brought three young professionals together to collaborate on a campaign that will save and change the lives of many.
It has been over two years since Nicole and her team completed Sophie’s Run; an international awareness campaign in honour of her late mother that has raised over $175,000 for the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada. Although Sophie’s Run ended after a 780km journey to New York City, where she and her team were escorted to the corner of Radio City Music Hall by the NYFD, Nicole’s feet and heart are still moving forward to fight this very treatable and beatable disease that kills over 9,000 Canadians every year.
Although only 33 years old, Julie, the photographer for Sophie’s Run, was experiencing some abnormal symptoms in the Summer of 2010. After being closely linked to Sophie’s Run from the beginning stages and the message of how Sophie failed to address her illness, Julie was proactive and went to see her doctor. Julie had two (2) polyps removed, one adenomas polyp (with the potential to become cancerous), during a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, prompting the requirement of a full colonoscopy where a hyperplastic polyp (not likely to turn cancerous) was discovered. She found herself feeling foolish with the rush of overwhelming emotions and said so to the doctor. Julie will forever remember the words she got in response “You can count this as the luckiest day of your life.” The procedures would otherwise not have occurred until her late 40s or early 50s. By then the doctor assured her, the results could have been much different.
Together, Julie and Nicole’s story caught the attention of entrepreneur Mark Demborynsky, founder of Pier Vision in the GTA. Mark, having known Sophie, wanted to contribute to keeping her story alive by continuing to raise awareness for this very treatable disease. Having been successful in past projects and with the launch of his new clothing line, Mark joined forces and together we have created a sexy and fun marketing campaign to raise awareness and educate Canadians about the signs and symptoms of this disease.
Their mission is to unite over 1 million citizens in their “Have a Sexy Day” March Awareness Campaign.
To find out how you can help to spread the word and to learn more about their upcoming campaign, please contact Mark Demborynsky at info@haveasexyday.ca.
Are you in or around Milton, ON? You’re cordially invited to the gang’s launch party on March 11th at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub!

Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada launches Awareness Month by rolling out their butts on buses across the country
Mar 1st
MONTREAL, March 1 /CNW/ – The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) will do almost anything to spread the message that colorectal cancer (CRC) is Preventable, Treatable and Beatable. The nation’s leader in provocative cancer advertising is once again proving it with a 17-city transit campaign in celebration of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Entitled GetYourButtSeen, the initiative includes hundreds of city buses adorned with the campaign’s iconic butts, as well as videos (http://bit.ly/eAdD8o), radio advertisements and an interactive website (getyourbuttseen.ca).
“No butt about it, the GetYourButtSeen advertisements will get your attention,” says Barry Stein, president of the CCAC. “We test drove the campaign in 11 of Canada’s largest cities with an overwhelmingly positive reception in 2010 – and even those who were opposed to the campaign received the potentially lifesaving message they otherwise may have ignored. The controversy actually assisted the CCAC in getting the conversation started.”
Stein knows what he is talking about. A patient diagnosed with CRC and metastases to both his liver and lungs in 1995, he now has no evidence of the disease. “Our goal is to prevent as many people as possible from having to go through what I went through – or worse – and if this campaign will do it, it’s worth it. Can you imagine how many lives could be saved if more people between the ages of 50 and 74 were getting screened?” added Stein.
The GetYourButtSeen campaign is just one of the many unique public awareness initiatives in the CCAC’s arsenal.
Ever on the cutting edge of outreach, the CCAC’s use of social media to enrich Awareness Month activities invites internet mavens and novice users alike to join in on the conversation. Tune into the CCAC’s Challenge of the Day starting March 1st on Twitter (@coloncanada) for the chance to win prizes for spreading the word.
The family-friendly Giant Colon Tour has been weaving its way from Moncton to Inuvik, delighting and informing hundreds of thousands of Canadians since it began its cross-country journey in 2009. The sensational multimedia exhibit invites visitors to journey through a 40-foot long representation of the human colon, all while being guided by the Association’s lovable puppet mascot, “Dr. Preventino”.
Other initiatives include a Public Service Announcement Contest, where entrants of all ages and backgrounds can compete to win up to $4,500 for the best television, radio or print advertisements. Interested contestants may enter as many times as they wish at the contest’s dedicated site (www.ccacpsa.com).
About Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer, cancer of the colon or rectum, is the second leading cause of cancer death in Canada. Though highly preventable and curable when detected early, an estimated 22,500 Canadians were diagnosed with the colorectal cancer last year, and approximately 9,100 died from it.
An almost equal number of men and women are affected by colorectal cancer. One in 14 men and one in 16 women are expected to develop the disease during their lifetime. One in 28 men and one in 31 women will die from it.
Colorectal cancer screening is a priority in every province and all provinces have either launched a province wide population-based screening program or are in the planning stages of doing so. The CCAC partners with cancer organizations and individuals across the country to promote primary prevention and screening.
About the CCAC
The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada is the country’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of colorectal cancer, supporting patients and advocating for national screening and equal and timely access to effective treatment to improve patient outcomes.
Visit the CCAC website, www.colorectal-cancer.ca, for up-to-date information on colorectal cancer or to call a toll-free number, 1.877.50.COLON (26566) to order free copies of helpful educational materials.
The GetYourButtSeen campaign can be found online at www.getyourbuttseen.ca.
A fortunate little accident brings attention to colorectal cancer in the UK
Jan 20th
Member of Parliament Nadhim Zahawi got a few stern looks and chuckles when his Be Loud Be Clear novelty tie went off in the British House of Commons.
It may have caused a stir, but the cheeky slip-up also stirred up headlines for our friends at Beating Bowel Cancer and their “Be Loud Be Clear” campaign.
Being LOUD is about big, bold fashion statements- like the aforementioned tie or Beating Bowel Cancers rather eye-catching “bum shorts”– and big, loud events. We think it sounds like a blast!
Interested in getting your hands on a piece of world colon cancer history? Mr. Zahawi’s famous tie has been signed and put up for auction on ebay!
EDIT 01/20: Mr. Zahawi wrote a blog post about tie-gate!

The Second Annual International PSA Contest is open- we need contributors!
Jan 18th
We understand- “writers block” seems inevitable when there’s hundreds of ways to spread colorectal cancer awareness- but we just know that our supporters will find one that’s right for them!
Need ideas? Our website is loaded with information about all aspects of colorectal cancer. Next, get your butt over to ccacpsa.com to join and upload your entry!

The Colon Club releases its 2011 Colondar
Jan 3rd
The Colon Club (a fun and fabulous non-profit in New York state) has just released the 7th edition of its yearly Colondar, a calendar initiative that features colorectal cancer survivors showing a little skin for a great cause.
“The 2011 Colondar is another stunning take on thirteen colorectal cancer survivors all diagnosed under the stereotypical age of 50. As with every Colondar, the featured survivors proudly show off their surgical scars and share part of their extraordinary personal stories, proving that this is a disease that can happen to anyone, at any age.”
The unfortunate truth is that rates of colorectal cancer are on the rise in younger people, and that men and women are about equally likely to be diagnosed. Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in both Canada and the United States.
Support the Colon Club today- visit their website to find our more about 2011’s gorgeous models and order yours!
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