Picking Up Speed

The largest colon cancer-focused event series in the country, Get Your Rear in Gear (GYRIG) is picking up speed. In 2016, people from coast to coast walked, ran and biked in 43 events to promote awareness, education and colon cancer screening. Sponsored by the Colon Cancer Coalition (CCC), the events included the GYRIG walk/ride and the more recent Tour de Tush^® bike ride.

The first Tour de Tush ride hit the pavement in 2015 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Participants could choose a 30-mile or 62-mile ride. In 2016, it was held again in Allentown and in the Twin Cities. There, riders could choose between a 25-mile or 8-mile family ride.

Erin Peterson, Communications Director of the CCC, attended the Twin Cities event in August, which drew in 60 survivors and a total of 1,500 participants.

“The most impactful thing for me is talking with the survivors and watching teams and their families cross the finish line with big smiles on their faces,” explained Erin. “And also continuing a relationship with the families who have lost a loved one.”

Though the events are fun, the main focus of the CCC is on screening and education and this is something that is always a priority at the events. The CCC wants to make sure to communicate the importance of screening through colonoscopy or alternative tests. Talk to your doctor about the best test for you.

Passionate local volunteers plan all CCC events, and the money raised stays in the community. Bill Carroll is the local coordinator in Mobile, Alabama. He first launched a local race there to honor his late co-worker, Lloyd Prater. Lloyd participated in the first event in Mobile in 2014 while going through treatment. Today, Bill continues to honor Lloyd’s legacy at the Mobile event. This past year, Lloyd’s family drove in from Florida and New Mexico to attend the event on April 2, 2016.

There was not a dry eye at the event as Bill told the story of his friendship with Lloyd and why he is so passionate about GYRIG. Members of Lloyd’s family, who rarely get a chance to gather, spoke as well at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.

The events also attract passionate young people. Eleven-year-old Olive organized a GYRIG team in Columbus, Ohio to celebrate her Uncle Andy who died of colon cancer two years before she was born. She designed “Happy Butts Crack Us Up” T-shirts and headbands, which Olive and her friends proudly wore. They also sold the T-shirts and headbands to raise money for the event.

2017 GYRIG Events