Hyderabad, September 13th 2022: The campaign for the Fifth edition of the Global Grace Cancer Run – 2022, with the theme ‘run the extra mile to gift a smile’ was formally launched by the popular Tollywood comedian Shri Ali, he also unveiled the T-Shirt and Medals, today at Hotel Daspalla. Also present on the occasion were Guests of Honour Ms Salagala Narasamma, IRS; Principal commissioner of income tax, Hyderabad Dr Avanindra Dandamudi, Managing Director, Dandamudi Biotech; Dr Pavan Gorukanti, Director, Yashoda Hospitals Group; Mr RP Patnaik, music composer & singer; Mr Viswant, Actor; Mr Krishna Edula, General Secretary, Society for Cyberabad Security Council; Dr Prameela Rani, Founder Trustee, Grace Cancer Foundation; Dr Chinnababu Sunkavalli, Robotic Surgical Oncologist & CEO, Grace Cancer Foundation; Mr Sujatha Rao, IPS (Retd.) and Mr Niranjan Raj, Executive Director, Grace Cancer Foundation and Race Director, Global Grace Cancer Run 2022, will be held on 9th October 2022, across the globe in the hybrid formats of both physical and virtual run, enabling participants to choose as per their convenience between the two.
In 2020, the Grace Cancer Run won the Coveted Guinness World Records on two counts of, most live viewers for a female health awareness lesson on YouTube and most videos of people running/ jogging uploaded to Facebook in one hour and is proactively aspiring for more recognitions this year.
Shri Ali said, these doctors are busy with treating patients, despite their busy schedule they took out time to think and contribute back to the society. Grace Cancer Foundation has been doing exemplary service by sending buses equipped to conduct cancer screening for poor in rural areas, which is commendable. Even if save one person from cancer it is as good as saving his family. Cancer is dreaded by everyone for the trauma associated with it and the expense involved in getting treated. But the irony is, everyone feels cancer will afflict someone else and not himself or his family. This sense of not me but someone else, leads to ignoring cancer and its prevention, often it’s too late for treatment by the time cancer is detected. It is Grace Cancer Foundation, which is sensitizing and awakening people to this disease, not just in India, but all over the world, because such negligence is a global phenomenon and is therefore hosting the Global run. The Global Grace Cancer run has gained enormous following and is making the populace aware of the fact that cancer can afflict anyone. The run has gained tremendous popularity during the last four years with unprecedented response, and it is only going to go to more places with more patronizing it.
Ms Salagala Narasamma said, awareness is key to early detection of cancer and nip the disease in early stage. Grace Cancer Foundation is doing yeoman service in both these aspects of awareness and early detection, not just in India but globally in 130 countries, through the now iconic Global Grace Cancer Run, which is also part of Guinness World Records. Prevention is better than cure is especially true for cancer, because the trauma associated with it for both the patients and their families is excruciating, besides financially putting the family off track for several years thereafter. Grace Cancer Foundation has to be applauded for laying thrust on cancer, the most dreaded of all diseases and wish them unprecedented support to make the run reach millions more. I am a live example, I was afflicted of cancer in 2005 at the age of 41 years, there is no specific age for cancer, the word cancer itself is dreadful. The moment one has cancer the family and friends are worried if the person will survive. Such is the scare in the society, awareness programs like these help in early detection, which will save lives. We need not worry about cancer any more, because it is also one other disease. Earlier there was no treatment, no way to detect early and no support for such patients, today we have all these now and there are several who are surviving cancer and leading a normal life thereafter.
Avanindra Dandamudi said, Grace Cancer Foundation has been doing wonderful work for years now, they would need support to take it forward, we thought of doing our bit to this cause and came forward and will in future too support it. It’s a privilege for Dandamudi Biotech to be part of this massive world-wide awareness campaign against cancer through Global Grace Cancer Run 2022. The immense publicity it builds against an ailment causing tremendous panic, helps to make the public conscious about it, take suitable preventive actions and may be in the long run contribute to reducing cancer burden.
Dr Chinnababu Sunkavalli said, though this initiative of Grace Cancer Foundation is mammoth with participants from 130 countries, it is still a drop in the ocean, because cancer is seeing phenomenal rise and there is much more to be done. The threat cancer poses can be gauged from these alarming statistics, more than half of the cancer deaths occur in less developed countries in the world, every nine seconds a person is detected with cancer and by the year 2030 that global cancer deaths are likely to touch 13 mn every year, that’s colossal by any standard. Lifestyle changes are the prime cause for cancer, one third of cancers can be prevented by modifying lifestyle, one third can be prevented if detected early. Since physical activity is key to disease prevention, especially cancer, this Run is working towards that objective. Global Grace Cancer run is single mindedly focused on spreading the word on prevention and early detection of Cancer and are proactively organising awareness and screening initiatives. The purpose of Grace Cancer Foundation initiative is to alleviate cancer burden in the society, this vision of ours is achieved through four pillars of Cancer awareness, early detection, treatment and rehabilitation and cutting edge research and through these reach out to communities. What began as a simple awareness drive has now catapulted into a global revolution to touch the lives and make a difference to many.
Dr Pavan Gorukanti said, Dr Chinnababu has been very committed to this cause for several years now, despite a busy schedule he has as a doctor. He is dedicatedly creating awareness and screening for cancers, which needs appreciation. Through the Global Grace Cancer Run, he is making enormous difference to people just not in India but all over the globe.
Mr Niranjan Raj said, in 2018 Grace Cancer Run began as a small phenomenon with just about 5000 runners, in 2021 we had 75000 participants and this year we are targeting one lakh participants from 130 countries. This particular run is not just a run, but a run with a cause of cancer awareness and prevention. The contribution to the run goes to free cancer screening in rural India.
Mr RP Patnaik, said, I appreciate Dr Chinnababu for this gigantic initiative, I lost my father because of cancer, so I know personally how painful it is to have some in the family suffering from cancer. All such families will get awareness about cancer through Global Grace Cancer Run and request everyone to spread awareness about this run. I will be in USA on 9th October and will participate in the run there.
Mr Viswant said, creating awareness is critical for detecting cancer early. This initiative of Dr Chinnababu is a great service to the society.
Grace Cancer Foundation, a charity organisation, working towards providing succour to cancer patients, has initiated Grace Cancer Run, to raise public awareness against cancer, its prevention and early detection, with the moto ‘No patients should be deprived of treatment for lack of financial support.’ Each participant at the run will contribute towards free screening of a deprived persons in rural India. Cancer survivors participating in the Run instil confidence and hope of cancer being conquerable, among cancer patients. The funds mobilised from the run will be utilised to provide Cancer Screening across rural India and care for needy patients diagnosed with cancer, besides conducting virtual Cancer awareness program and spreading knowledge across the globe.
The Foundation has framed stipulations for the virtual run, to ensure safety and wellness of the participants, while affording them the privilege of being a part of a noble cause with ability to spread the message on cancer. The virtual run enables the participants to be part by running at a nearby track or from the comfortable and secure confines of their homes on a treadmill. The race rules are designed to permit the participant to reach the desired distance in a prescribed timeframe. Besides creating awareness, the virtual run serves as an add-on to stay fit and healthy.
The Run will be in three categories of: 5K, 10K and 21.1K (Half Marathon)
Each participant registering for the Run will be provided with an ‘e-bib’ (a personalized, printable picture). The participants need to log on to activity Apps of their choice, though Strava is the preferred app for recording the run. After the completion of the run, the runners have to post the distance of the run along with a selfie or photograph with the bib on the chest for the organizers to record their participation.
The interested participants should register for the Run through the following links
www.gracecancerrun.com & www.gracecancerfoundation.org
