(Angie Nicholas | Photo courtesy of Fight Colorectal Cancer)
Redmond traveler Angie Nicholas will be hiking Crater Lake virtually alongside hundreds of other survivors and loved ones to raise awareness and funds for colon and rectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States combined. The event is Fight Colorectal Cancer’s (Fight CRC) annual Climb for a Cure, which has become a virtual fundraising event this year.
Fight CRC is a nonprofit organization that empowers and provides resources for colorectal cancer survivors, funds groundbreaking research efforts and supports year-round advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. The organization has been hosting Climb for a Cure for the past five years. Started in 2015 by four Fight CRC advocates, Climb for a Cure inspires cancer survivors to push themselves physically and mentally as there is no greater challenge than fighting cancer.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person Climb for a Cure at Lake Tahoe planned for this year has been postponed to summer 2021. But that is not stopping Fight CRC advocates from hiking, biking, walking and running from wherever they are, in line with social-distancing guidelines and in-state shelter-in-place orders. Fight CRC has made it their goal for participants to collectively walk one million steps to represent the one million colorectal cancer survivors living in the United States. Every step counts and advocates will be using a mobile app to track their progress and connect with others.
This will be Angie’s second time Climbing for a Cure. Angie is a family practice physician and the medical director of a large physician group; she is ready to hike virtually alongside fellow survivors, caregivers and advocates across the country.
“I am climbing in memory of my husband, John, and all of my friends who have died from colorectal cancer. Climbing last year taught me a lot about myself, and how hard I can push myself. This climb gives our colorectal cancer family a chance to connect (albeit virtually this year), and raise money to support Fight CRC’s mission for colorectal cancer advocacy, patient education and research. Each step we take on this climb gets us one step closer to a cure,” says Angie.
This year, Climb for a Cure aims to exceed $200,000 to support those who have recently been diagnosed with colon and rectal cancers with resources such as Your Guide in the Fight, as well as ground-breaking research and advocacy efforts to push for policies that support cancer survivors and caregivers like Angie.
To learn more about Climb for a Cure, visit FightCRC.org/climb.
