Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Special Events

Rock & Run on the River is a 5K run/walk that celebrates life beyond cancer and unites thousands of New Yorkers committed to raising funds for Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Cancer Survivorship Initiative. The second annual Rock & Run takes place on Sunday, June 8, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at Hudson River Park's scenic Pier 84. Dan Abrams, chief legal correspondent for NBC News will host the event, which features a post-race brunch, live music, fitness classes, a private survivorship area, and activities for everyone. Individuals can register to participate in the 5K alone or as part of a team, gaining support for Memorial Sloan-Kettering's cancer survivorship programs through sponsor donations. Visit the secure site -- http://rockandrun.mskcc.org to register or to sponsor a participant.

Fred's Team consists of first-time and veteran marathon runners dedicated to raising funds for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Running legend Fred Lebow, the inspiration for Fred's Team, is probably best known for his courage in completing the five-borough, 26.2-mile New York City Marathon, the race he co-founded, during his cancer's remission in 1992. Lebow and Memorial Sloan-Kettering forged a unique partnership the previous year. While undergoing treatment for cancer at the Center, Lebow trained in the hospital corridors for the marathon and, in the process, he took Memorial Sloan-Kettering's vision of a world without cancer and made it his own.

"Running the marathon is the best way I know to fight this disease," he said. While Lebow succumbed to cancer on October 9, 1994, his commitment and spirit continue to trailblaze with the more than 7,000 Fred's Team runners, raising over $28 million for cancer research and patient care so far. Their generosity has brought us closer to a world without cancer, one mile at a time.

How to Participate

Run a 2008 race with Fred's Team on one of the following dates:

• 112th Boston Marathon, April 21, 2008
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Rock & Run on the River, June 8, 2008
• NYC Half-Marathon, August 2008
• The LaSalle Bank Chicago Distance Classic, August 10, 2008
• The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, October 12, 2008
• ING New York City Marathon, November 2, 2008

For more information about upcoming races and to find out how to sponsor a Fred's Team runner, make a general donation, or to join Fred's Team, please visit www.mskcc.org/fredsteam.org.

A nonprofit organization, Swim Across America (SAA) is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment through high-profile, swimming-related events. A sequel to a run across America in 1985 by Swim Across America founders, the team decided to change the venue but continue the venture and have been swimming for a cure ever since. To date, the group has raised over $8 million dollars for cancer research, prevention, and treatment.

The high-profile events, which take place in Boston, Chicago, and New York, attract Olympic legends, hopefuls, rising swimming stars, as well as recreational swimmers united in the effort to raise money and awareness. Efforts of swimmers participating in Swim Across America events in the greater New York area -- Hudson River, Glen Cove, and Long Island Sound -- support Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Swim Across America Laboratory, which conducts groundbreaking studies of DNA vaccines targeting a range of cancers. To date, Swim Across America has raised over $5.8 million to support the lab.

Events for 2008 will be held in July and August. Visit www.swimacrossamerica.org for registration forms, photo galleries of past events, and fundraising tools, or call 203-253-7690 for more information.

The foundation was created in memory of Gwen Kosinski -- wife and mother of four -- who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1999 and lost her battle with the disease less than three years later at the age of 48. The Kosinski family turned their personal tragedy and grief over their loss into hope for saving others. Together with another brain tumor patient, Bob Conneely, and his wife, Sheila, they formed a running team called Minds Over Matter. The team debuted at the 2001 New York City Marathon where they raised over $28,000 to benefit brain cancer research. Energized and ready to expand their efforts, the Kosinskis formed the Gwen L. Kosinski Foundation. Through its annual 5K run, golf outings, and other events, the foundation has since raised over $150,000 for brain tumor research. For more information about the foundation, please visit www.glkfoundation.org.

2008 5K Run in Sag Harbor, NY

In partnership with its running team, Minds Over Matter, the Gwen L. Kosinski Foundation sponsors an annual 5K run in Sag Harbor, New York, to benefit brain cancer. The fourth annual race took place on May 12, 2007 on West Water Street. For more information please contact foundation president Jaime Kosinski at jaime.kosinski@glkfoundation.org or visit www.glkfoundation.org.

Created in memory of 21-year-old Kristen Ann Carr, who succumbed to retroperitoneal liposarcoma in 1993, the fund was established 13 years ago. Since then, in excess of $3.3 million has been raised by this fund to support a research fellowship (the Kristen Ann Carr Fellowship) for the study, treatment, care, and prevention of sarcoma. It also funds a support group for sarcoma patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, an annual holiday party for young cancer patients and their families, a make-a-wish type program, and a number of concerts and other functions centered on adolescents and young adults.

For more information about the fund or to learn about fund-sponsored events, visit www.sarcoma.com or call 212-501-0748.

This 5K (3.1 miles) fun run takes place in October 2008. Started 26 years ago by a young Canadian named Terry Fox, today no fewer than 125 countries have run sites in which runners raise money for cancer research. In New York City, the run is organized by the Charitable Events Committee of the Canadian Association of New York. Proceeds from the run support cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. To date, over $1 million dollars has been raised.

About Terry Fox

On April 12, 1980, at St. Johns, Newfoundland, Terry began what he called the Marathon of Hope. Terry planned to run across Canada, some 6,000 miles to raise money and awareness for cancer research. For the next 142 days he ran 26 miles per day, the marathon distance. On September 1, 1980, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, he was forced to stop. Since his death, thousands of runs have been held in Canada and around the world in Terry's name.

For more information, for pledge sheets, sponsoring information, and to register for the run, please visit www.terryfoxrunnyc.org.

The Award of Courage, founded by David and Monica Gorin, honors the strength of body and spirit that are integral to winning the fight against cancer and to achieving athletic success. The event -- first held in 1994 -- features live and silent auctions as well as the presentation of two awards. This year's award recipients are Andrew Mathias, President of SL Green Realty Corp., and Gary Green, Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Building Services.

All funds raised as a result of the evening benefit the Brennan/Gorin Family Fellowship Endowment, a one-year fellowship program in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering under the direction of Murray F. Brennan, M.D.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at 6:00 PM, at Cipriani (42nd Street, New York, NY 10017). For sponsorship information or to purchase tickets, please contact JKS Events at 212-725-2192 or AOC@JKSevents.com.

To make a direct contribution to the Award of Courage fund, please contact Laura Lo Russo at 646-227-2567 or lorussol@mskcc.org.