Run for the Ribbon to return to Detroit Zoo June 15

ROYAL OAK — To help spread awareness and raise money for people and families affected by prostate cancer, the Michigan Men’s Health Foundation will be hosting the Run for the Ribbon June 15.

The annual run has been happening since 2009 and will take place at the Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak.

The Run for the Ribbon attracts more than 1,500 survivors and supporters to run or walk each year, according to the press release. Participants can choose between a 5K run or walk, or a 1-mile walk inside the zoo.

“What we have noticed is that prostate cancer survivorship is something that truly does bring the entire family together, and all of the members of the family, each in their own ways, want to support the person who is the survivor, and they want to celebrate their survivorship and make this feel like they are not alone and they are doing this together,” said Dr. Michael Lutz, urologist and president of the Michigan Men’s Health Foundation.

Lutz said that this event is particularly important because of the rising numbers in prostate cancer each year, and that it is something that needs to be talked about among young and older men.

“Prostate cancer is on the rise globally, both in older men as well as younger men, and the screening disparities that exist within the community have become even more evident from the recent delayed diagnosis of former president Joe Biden,” Lutz said. “The guidelines are amiss, and there is a bit of what we call diagnostic ageism. In other words, the oldest individual that would be getting screened, based on the present day guidelines, would be age 70, and what that does is a lot of men weren’t getting screened, and as a result they are getting diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer that is a disease outside of the prostate and has spread to other organs in the body, and they will never be cured of the disease.”

Lutz went on to say that there are approximately 300,000 cases diagnosed every year in the U.S., meaning that 18,000 men, because of the archaic screening guidelines, are being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and are no longer able to cure the disease.

“I don’t think that’s acceptable. I think we need to do better,” Lutz said. “We need to screen those who really need to be screened, particularly if they’re men at high risk, if you’re an African American male, if you have a first-degree family member with prostate cancer, if you’re a firefighter, were a former Navy pilot, you’re at an increased risk for getting prostate cancer, and you should get screened at an earlier age, starting at age 40 and on a regular basis.”

“We have decided that in order to make a difference here in the state of Michigan, we are going to be initiating a mobile men’s health clinic to screen in the underserved communities all across the state of Michigan,” Lutz said. “To offer all men the opportunity to get screening opportunities and place all men on a level playing field for screening and health.”

Diana Jankowski, representative of the Detroit Curling Club and participant in the Run for the Ribbon, has a very close friend and former teammate who died from prostate cancer.

Patrick Cannon, a member of the Detroit Curling Club, passed away in 2020 from prostate cancer. Cannon had become a supporter of the Men’s Health Foundation when he was diagnosed.

“The run brings us together in our off season to do something for the community, as well as keep Pat’s memory alive and really celebrate his life,” Jankowski said, tearing up. “We call it Pat’s Day.”

Jankowski said that the run was a great resource for the men on the team, giving them awareness of the disease.

“I know that prostate cancer is something that’s not really talked about by men, but there are a lot of men in the curling club who have been affected by this,” she said.

The Detroit Curling Club goes by the name of Cannon’s Curlers for a Cure during the race and wears dark blue shirts with the words “We Run For Pat” on the back.

The team is one of the top earners, raising around $1,975 so far this year, according to the website with information on the Run for the Ribbon, runsignup.com. Jankowski said that the team has raised almost $8,000 over the course of the past four years.

“Pat was a really special guy; he always had a smile on his face. He was just one of those people who was a great teammate and he just lit up the room,” she said. “To be able to do this, and to keep his memory alive doing something he was a big supporter of, it really does mean a lot to all of us.”

This year, the run will be giving out free “In celebration of” signs that will be placed along the route, and new this year, participants can take their signs home, according to the press release.

“It’s essential to this event to have people take a moment to celebrate someone in their lives that is a prostate cancer celebrant, and we call them celebrants, we don’t call them survivors or people who have passed — we don’t want it to be a death march,” Lutz said. “We want it to be one of those where any individual who has ever had prostate cancer gets recognized whether they are living or not.”

There will also be awards given to race winners, including overall male and female, as well as male and female age group awards.

“If you’re a runner, it’s probably the fastest 5K route that exists because it’s totally flat,” Lutz said. “So, if you are looking for a record, or a PR (personal record), this is the best time and place to do it.”

The race will begin at 8 a.m., and the entry fee is $35 before race day and $40 on race day. That cost covers the run or walk, a performance shirt, a medal, refreshments, and admission to the Detroit Zoo on the day of the event. Reduced pricing is available for participants ages 13 and younger.

A virtual option is also available for those who wish to support the foundation and the men in their lives. All money raised will fund health assessments at the foundation’s Men’s Health Event on Sept. 20 at Ford Field in Detroit to screen for prostate cancer and provide other tests.

Registration and more information can be found at runfortheribbon.com.