By Mark Ambrogi
For Noblesville resident Angie Hipsher, her commitment with the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K race/walk goes far deeper than being the event director.
Her husband Andy lost his nearly three-year battle with colon cancer at age 35 on Oct. 5, 2012.
The Get Your Rear in Gear 5K race/walk is the only one in Indiana to help raise funds for colon cancer awareness.
The event, backed by the Colon Cancer Coalition, will be held at Noblesville’s Dillon Park at 9 a.m. Oct. 17. Hipsher is expecting approximately 400 participants.
“We find it’s a community event, and the same families that are fighting colon cancer or lost someone to colon cancer are who the majority of the people are,” Hipsher said. “Some competitive runners show up. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so we’re kind of in the shadows. Colon cancer is never something that gets talked about very much.”
Hipsher said her husband walked the 5K for two years when it was held in Carmel after he learned he had colon cancer.
“My family will be walking and running, but I get caught up with the results and making sure the awards ceremony is going to as quickly as possible,” she said.
Her son Drew, 11, an Our Lady of Grace sixth-grader, will be running. Daughter Kaelyn, 8, an Our Lady of Grace second-grader, will be walking.
“Drew came in seventh overall in the race last year, and it was the second time he’s run a 5K, so he’s looking forward to it this year,” Hipsher said. “He’s thinking he’s going to move up in the ranks.”
The family team name is Lucky 7 because Andy was born 7-7-1977.
“Our team wears shirts [that say], ‘Walking in memory of Andy Hipsher,’” said Hipsher, who works in the IT department for Crowe Horwath.
Andy was a senior manager in IT Audit and Counseling with Crowe Horwath LLP.
The cost for adults is $30 and $20 for youth (12 and under). The event includes refreshments, tech shirts and marathon-quality medals for age group winners. The registration closing date is 5 p.m. Oct. 13. For more, visit coloncancercoalition.org.
