Who is ready to run for a cause? Join Bernadette Boyle and Linda O’Brien, the race directors for the ninth annual Your Next Step is the Cure 5K event on Saturday, December 5, at Alderman’s Ford Conservation Park, located at 100 Alderman Ford Park Dr. in Plant City.
What began as a passion nine years ago to raise awareness has now expanded even further with the establishment of their official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, strengthening their commitment to this mission for years to come. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the uveal melanoma research at Moffitt Cancer Center and the laboratories of Dr. Keiran Smalley, Dr. Florian Karreth and Dr. Alex Jaeger, where groundbreaking discoveries are being made to better this disease and develop new treatment strategies.
The race supports awareness and research for ocular melanoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that affects just six out of every 1 million people each year. Though rare, its impact on patients and families is profound — and urgently in need of continued research and breakthroughs.
Their ‘why’: Bernadette and O’Brien have a vested interest in this disease. Bernadette lost her husband, Joe Boyle, to this dreaded cancer in January 2016, and O’Brien is still fighting with yearly scans and eye exams; O’Brien remains NED — no evidence of disease.
Their hopes for this year’s event are simple, to surpass their past achievements! Since the inception of this event which began in 2017, they have donated over $100,000 for research. Of course, like every year, Bernadette and O’Brien hope to bring awareness to this rare and orphan disease and remind everyone of the importance of an annual dilated eye exam.
Joining them will be the research doctors from the Moffitt Cancer Center speaking about ocular melanoma and current research that is happening because of event like their Your Next Step is the Cure 5K. Together, attendees run not just for miles but for hope, innovation and lifesaving progress. Join them as they continue to make strides toward awareness, research and a cure.
To follow posts and updates, please visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yournextstepisthecure5k and their Instagram page @yournextstepisthecure.
If you are interested in learning more about their event and/or sponsoring, you can email Bernadette and O’Brien at yournextstepisthecure@aol.com.
For registration for the race/walk and to donate, please visit https://runsignup.com/race/fl/plantcity/yournextstepisthecure.
