Cider will be flowing, live music playing, funds will be raised and local health care professionals will be avowing the benefits an active lifestyle can have on those affected by cancer – all during the second annual Press On: Moving Lives Through Cancer, a fundraising and outreach event hosted by area physical therapists to benefit Tour des Chutes.
Scheduled for Saturday, September 17, 3-7pm at Atlas Cider Company (550 SW Industrial Way) in Bend, Press On invites the public to celebrate cancer survivorship with music, food, drink, a fun run and a silent auction, all while learning about the roles physical therapy and exercise can play in the lives of cancer survivors and those diagnosed with the disease.
Physical therapists, health care professionals, and exercise and rehab-related exhibitors will be on hand to spotlight this point through information and demonstrations.
“Physical therapy and exercise play critical roles in improving a person’s quality of life during and after cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Meredith Wampler-Kuhn, PT, DPTSc, a Bend-based physical therapist who specializes in oncology rehabilitation and lead organizer of the Press On event. “In our second year, we wanted to celebrate this in a meaningful way. By supporting Tour des Chutes this year, we felt we could better spread this message while making a more significant impact.”
Activities included as part of this year’s event include:
Press On Fun Run: Recharge in Bend will be hosting and sponsoring a 5K Press On Fun Run – a 5K run or walk at 4 p.m., with proceeds benefiting Tour des Chutes. Registration is available at Atlas Cider, Immersion Brewing and Humm Kombuch, all in Bend. Cost is $25, and participants will receive a T-shirt and drink ticket.
Silent Auction: Items and experiences will be up for auction during this year’s Press On event, with proceeds from all items sold supporting Tour des Chutes.
Cider & Mixes: Atlas Cider will once again be selling specially labeled bottles of Press On cider, proceeds – along with a portion of on-site pint sales – going to Tour des Chutes. Humm Kombucha and Immersion Brewing will also be donated proceeds from special batch sales leading up to the event, and all three brewers plan to collaborate in selling special drink mixes, combining beer, cider and kombucha, on event day.
Founded in 2004, Tour des Chutes exists to support cancer care and survivorship for children and adults in Central Oregon. Supporters of St. Charles Cancer Survivorship Programs as well as the Pediatric Foundation, Tour des Chutes recognizes that “physical exercise is an essential element in improving the quality of living with cancer.”
Multiple medical studies have supported this idea. Along with helping cancer patients maintain strength, decrease fatigue, minimize pain and maximize function and mobility, physical therapists play a critical role in identifying possible complications during and after treatment. But there’s more, says Wampler-Kuhn.
“Beyond the physical benefits, physical therapy is a great way for people to feel in control of restoring their bodies during and after cancer treatment through exercise and good health practices,” she said.
Press On was made possible thanks to the generosity of a number of local sponsors and contributors, including Atlas Cider Company, PT Pub Night, St. Charles Health System, Wells Fargo, Bend Memorial Clinic, Therapeutic Associates, Vantage Clinical Solutions, Recharge, Humm Kombucha, Immersion Brewing, Opportunity Knocks, Alpine Physical Therapy, High Lakes Health Care, Central Oregon Radiation Oncology Associates, Apex Physical Therapy, Step & Spine Physical Therapy, Focus Physical Therapy, The Bulletin, Cascade Business News, Combined Communications and BuildPT.
www.pressonbend.com
