CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The annual CAMC Foundation Run for Your Life event to raise money and awareness for colorectal cancer will be virtual through June.
CAMC officials are encouraging anyone to join the 5-mile run and 2.5-mile walk by running or walking anywhere in the state. The event is usually held in downtown Charleston, starting and finishing at Haddad Riverfront Park on a Saturday morning.
Josh Sword, co-chair of 2020 CAMC Foundation Run for Your Life Virtual who is also the president of AFL-CIO appeared on Thursday’s MetroNews ‘Talkline’ to discuss the event that changed due to COVID-19.
“If we can raise money and raise awareness so that we save at least one life, I think we will save a lot more than that, but if we can save at least one life than all this will be worth it,” he said.
Sword is a colorectal cancer survivor and shared his story on ‘Talkline.’ He said in late 2017 he began to experience symptoms and was diagnosed with cancer in March 2018 at 42-years old.
“I had a CT scan and he called me and I was super fortunate that the scan showed it was localized and did not spread. We had one lymph node that was compromised but it hadn’t spread anywhere,” Sword said.
He said he was emotional by that bit of news and its where he began the journey to being cancer-free today. Sword said he went through dozens of radiation and chemo treatments and surgery to remove the tumor.
Sword goes for scans every six months and encourages all people to do the same and raise awareness for the disease.
“The doctors said there is an alarming trend out there and people, primarily males under the age of 50 that are getting diagnosed with colorectal cancer. They said they are just doing all the research we can to figure out exactly why,” Sword said of his experience.
Registrants will receive the following: T-Shirt, choice of cotton or dry-fit, ultralight and versatile gaiter. To register, visit camcfoundation.org.
Josh Sword, President @WestVirginiaAFL, joins @HoppyKercheval to discuss this year’s upcoming ‘Run for Your Life’ race. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIRZCB pic.twitter.com/jGFaFoxwcg
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) May 28, 2020