A Great Race, for a Great Cause: An Intern's View

It has been a month since I began my internship with the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Every morning when I get up, my first thought after “Hmm, maybe I can hit the snooze button again,” is “What cool new things am I going to be doing today?” The sleepiness fades, as I get excited for another day with a great organization.

I was instantly attracted to this position. The Foundation, its mission, and programs have helped to highlight an important aspect of cancer that many other groups tend to overlook: prevention. So much emphasis is placed on research for the cure, and what to do after diagnosis, that people forget that cancer can be prevented.

I came on board ready to help in any way that I could, and what better way to help than with the Prevent Cancer Foundation 5k? At 6:30 a.m. my friends Lina Schneider, Kaitlin McClure, Erin Guastini and I came together eager to start our day of volunteering. Yes, this is early for college students, but we didn’t mind because we knew we would be helping a great cause. While at the race, we assisted with the pre-race warm up, took lots of pictures of the runners/walkers, and cheered for them as they approached the finish line.

When the race was over, I took the opportunity to talk to a runner who ran with his whole family. He had many good things to say about the Foundation. He mentioned that last year, he participated in the 5K with colleagues from work. This year he brought his whole family to what he called “a great race, for a great cause.”

The key is getting the message out there. I recommend that all college/university students and groups follow Alpha Phi Omega  and get involved with the Foundation in spreading the message of prevention and early detection.

“A great race, for a great cause”, is a sentiment that was echoed by many runners throughout the morning. “It’s so odd that people don’t seem to think about preventing cancer,” said Lina. The Foundation does just that, and I love that they have put prevention in the forefront of cancer discussions across the country.”