Williamston, Mich., resident Patty Kuptz walks with Bekeeni, a Yorkshire terrier on Nov. 3, 2013, by Fee Hall. The MSU Student Osteopathic Medical Association organized a 5k to fundraise for St. Baldrick and Cassie Hines foundations. Georgina De Moya / The State News
Mario and Luigi, fairies, convicts and a Grim Reaper all ran through campus yesterday to promote cancer research.
Students and community members dressed up in costumes on Sunday morning for the Student Osteopathic Medical Association’s annual 5k Monster Dash.
Participants ran or walked from Fee Hall to Sparty and back and ranged in age from toddlers to senior citizens. The event also served as a race and the winners took home medals.
A free osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic offered checkups after the race for participants who had any physical issues.
“Our goal is to educate the community on osteopathic medicine,” Lauren Vocke said, a second-year student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine and president of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association.
Vocke said the 5k brought out about 150 runners and they raised around $5,000 from entry fees and various donations from local businesses.
This year, the proceeds of the 5k will go to benefit the Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation and St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a childhood cancer charity.
Monica Marcelis Fochtman, the mother of a 2013 ambassador for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, said the event brought much needed exposure to the issue of childhood cancer.
St. Baldrick’s picks five young children each year to serve as ambassadors for the thousands of children who have been affected by childhood cancer.
“Everyone knows about breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer,” Marcelis Fochtman, also an economic advisor for the MSU College of Nursing, said. “There is a little bit of denial about childhood cancer, and St. Baldrick’s works to break down those barriers and raise awareness.”
Marcelis Fochtman’s 7-year-old son was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that particularly affects muscle tissue, when he was only 3 years old. He currently is cancer-free as a result of the efforts of St. Baldrick’s, Marcelis Fochtman said.
“My son was 3 years old — he was innocent and pure,” Marcelis Fochtman said. “Two cells just randomly mutate and go haywire. We need to understand why that happens.”
Marcelis Fochtman also said there need to be improvements in the methods used to treat cancer in children.
Jessica Stuart, a mathematics junior, participated in the 5k on Sunday morning because a friend told her about the event and she wanted to help the cause.
“I’m really glad that I was able to contribute to a ?charity,” Stuart said. “It feels good to be active and know that your money is going for a good cause.”
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