“The odds are that each one of us in our community knows someone who’s been afflicted by prostate cancer,” says Jeffrey Spier, M.D., a urologist with Rio Grande Urology. It’s one of the key reasons RGU is hosting the upcoming ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk on October 20 to help raise support for this all-too-common cancer.
The 5K run/walk will help bring the community together in an effort to raise funds for prostate cancer treatment research, as well as to support patients battling the cancer who may not be able to cover medical expenses.
“This event allows people to make a difference,” says Dr. Spier. “It also helps us educate the community about what’s out there in terms of treatment, and what we’re doing at RGU to treat patients from diagnosis through the course of treatment. We want our community to know more about our cancer center and what it offers.”
Dr. Spier plans to run this year (he walked the 5K last year), and looks forward to helping the RGU staff at the event in any way he can. “We’re building on last year’s success and hoping to grow the event this year so we can raise funds for patients who are in need,” he says.
This is the second time RGU has hosted the 5K, following a successful event in 2017. “It was uplifting to see so many of our patients show up with their families last year. Also, the involvement of all our staff — from physicians to medical assistants to administrators — provided a real morale boost for us as we came together with a shared goal of giving back to the community,” says Dr. Spier.
The ZERO 5K takes place October 20 at the White Spur Park. If you want to get involved in this year’s event and help support the fight against prostate cancer, sign up to run/walk or learn more about ways to get involved.