In 2004, Kristin Lindquist started planning for the very first Get Your Rear in Gear® run after losing her best friend and sister, Susie Lindquist Mjelde, to colon cancer. What started as one woman’s vision has since grown into a national coalition of people determined to end colorectal cancer deaths by increasing screening and educating others about the signs and symptoms of this treatable disease. We want all people to understand their risk factors and get the right screening at the right time.
We achieve our goals by encouraging screening and raising awareness of colorectal cancer’s signs and symptoms through our signature Get Your Rear in Gear run/walk events and Tour de Tush bike rides. Our primary goals include:
Raising Awareness
By focusing on the patient and local communities, and providing outlets for all persons touched by this disease to share their stories, we are able to educate the public about the importance of colorectal screening. By making the words colon, colorectal, and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer.
Achieving Eighty Percent Screening
Although the survival rate for colon cancer is 90% when it’s caught in the early stages, only 40% of cases are being diagnosed during this window. As a member of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, we are committed to raising screening rates to 80% in every community. By reaching that collective goal, more than 200,000 lives could be saved in the next decade.
Keeping Funds Local
Money raised through local events are granted back to the communities in which they are held. Annually, we grant over $1 million to local community programs that will raise screening rates, increase awareness, and educate the public about the signs and symptoms of the disease, and provide support for patients and caregivers.
