By Anna Skinner
Family uses tragedy to raise colon cancer awareness
No one believes it will happen to them. It’s a shock to hear of someone dying from a treatable cancer and we all feel sympathy, but that happens to other people. That’s what Angie Hipsher thought until her 32-year-old husband was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in June 2010.
Because of the shocking discovery of the disease, Angie and her husband, Andy, participated in the Indianapolis Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run and Walk to help raise awareness for colon cancer.
The Get Your Rear in Gear Run takes place all over the nation and is backed by the Colon Cancer Coalition. When the Hipshers assembled a team to raise funds at the run in Indianapolis, the Colon Cancer Coalition President recognized their hard work and offered Angie a position to be local event director.
One year later in October, Andy died. That didn’t deter Hipsher’s motivation to keep participating in the run. The race was moved to Noblesville this year and it is Hipsher’s first year being event director.
“The run is to create awareness for colon cancer,” she said. “We’re just trying to get the word out so people can get screened. If it’s caught early enough it’s treatable.”
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and it is not a geriatric disease. To help raise awareness, the funds from last year’s Get Your Rear in Gear run were used to launch a six month-long local radio campaign.
Hipsher also put together a team this year to help raise funds for the Colon Cancer Coalition. Helping her out is her friend, Susan Lineager, and six others (mostly family members). Hipsher’s team worked on organizing the event for more than a year by contacting sponsors, hosting events, displaying informational posters and sharing by word of mouth. 75 percent of the funds raised by Hipsher’s team and others are used to help raise awareness locally, like the radio campaign. The other 25 percent helps the Colon Cancer Coalition sponsor the run.
“Noblesville doesn’t have a lot of races like this,” Lineager said. “It’s a great run and a great cause. I ran the race last year and was very touched by the event.”
Lineager’s experience participating in the run led her to contact Hipsher to offer her help.
“Part of the point of the run is to promote healthy living,” Lineager said. “Early detection is great but it really comes down to living healthy.”
The Get Your Rear in Gear Run is taking place on Oct. 19 with registration beginning at 7 a.m. and the race starting at 9 a.m. in Dillon Park on 146th street. More information about the route and prizes can be found online at www.getyourrearingear.com/Indianapolis.
There is no age requirement and runners and walkers can still sign up online. Participants will receive a t-shirt and awards will be given to the top three runners and winners in each age group.
During the last mile of the race, there is a memory lane with the pictures and names of people who have died due to colon cancer. To add a loved one to the list or to volunteer at the race, contact Angie at [email protected].
“One out of 20 people are diagnosed with colon cancer, it can affect anyone,” Hipsher said. “Everyone always thinks it won’t happen to them, and I was one of those people.”
Hipsher’s husband never lived life like he had a disease.
“His motto was ‘Love like crazy, fight like hell’,” she said. “He was a very inspirational man.”
