Zurixx Gold Sponsor of the 2017 Denver Race to Cure Sarcoma
July 12, 2017 – Zurixx is proud to announce our Gold-level sponsorship in support of the 2017 Denver Race to Cure Sarcoma!
The 5k walk/run will take place on Saturday, September 16th 2017 in the Greenwood Village neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The event is family, pet, and wheelchair friendly, so everyone has a chance to come out. Race to Cure Sarcoma has teamed up with the Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA) and the University of Colorado Cancer Center in an effort to raise both awareness and resources for sarcoma research across the country.
SFA is the leading voice for sarcoma patients, survivors, and those who care about the, and SFA has funded over $7 million in research to help eradicate sarcoma. Organizations like SFA and the Huntsman Cancer Institute rely heavily on private donations, like the $5,000 recently given by Zurixx, but due to its rarity, sarcoma is poorly understood, even within the medical community, and thus not well funded. More information on this rare type of cancer can be found here.
Inspiration for Zurixx’s sponsorship of this race comes, in part, from Jillian Potter, captain of the 2016 U.S. Olympic women’s rugby sevens team. Back in 2014, Jillian was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, one of the rarest forms of cancer that occurs primarily in the arms and legs. She beat that cancer and was in Rio representing the U.S. less than two years after her diagnosis. Unfortunately, just 5 months following her return from the 2016 Olympics, a regularly scheduled cancer scan detected a new growth, and Jillion has been in Texas, with her wife Carol, undergoing treatment at a clinical trial since. The latest update is that her cancer has responded well to the chemotherapy and has decreased in size.
Last October, Zurixx flew Jillion out to get involved with their Pink 7s rugby tournament, to raise cancer awareness. Jillion spoke with the young players and their families about her experiences in Rio, her love of rugby, and her battle with cancer. While she was in Colorado, Jillion also presented Zurixx’s donation of $50,000 to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for continued cancer research. Zurixx is a proud supporter of both youth rugby and the fight against all forms of cancer. We are happy to continue our contribution by hosting a second Pink 7s rugby tournament this upcoming October 2017.
“Jillion’s courage and bravery is truly an inspiration to young athletes and fellow cancer patients across the country,” said Zurixx CEO Jim Carlson. “We at Zurixx are rooting for her complete recovery and will continue to support her and other patients like her any way we can.”
Zurixx is thrilled to be part of the Denver Race to Cure Sarcoma 5k in September and will continue to lead the charge of cancer fundraising and awareness.