Great Western Mortgage’s Julie Shrell will be riding high this Sunday. Julie, along with three other ovarian cancer survivors, founded the Be The Difference Foundation within weeks of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was Julie’s way of getting some hope. Her goal is to help women in the fight against ovarian cancer get better treatment options and even, ultimately, find a cure. Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest: 1 in 70 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Less than 50% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years following their diagnosis, making it the deadliest gynecological cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women.
“I’m so fortunate, ” says Julie, “I’m one of the lucky few who has not had a recurrence.”
So this Sunday, Julie will ride in the Foundation’s fourth annual Wheel to Survive Dallas fundraiser to take place on Sunday, February 28, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at JCC Dallas.
Wheel to Survive is a high-energy, inspirational indoor cycling fundraiser to benefit programs for women currently battling ovarian cancer and provide research dollars for a cure. Hundreds of participants, riding as part of a team or individually, ride to raise money for the cause, as well as honor friends, family and loved ones affected by the disease. Special guests for this year’s ride include Roger Staubach, former Dallas Cowboys’ Quarterback and 2x Superbowl Champion, and Julie Dobbs, reporter for the Dallas Stars.
“This is so much more than just a woman’s fight,” said Julie Shrell, now President of Be the Difference Foundation. “The huge response we receive from our riders each year is truly amazing.”
With no effective, routine early detection test available for ovarian cancer today, the statistics are staggering. 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. Almost half of women fighting ovarian cancer will lose their battle within five years of diagnosis.
“We ride in honor of our friends who have lost their battles, those who continue to fight today and for those who will be diagnosed tomorrow,” said Shrell.
Last year, Wheel to Survive Dallas raised more than $350,000 with the help of 370 participants. 100% of funds raised by riders is distributed to six different organizations working to end ovarian cancer – The Clearity Foundation, Mary Crowley Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center, University of Pennsylvania’s Ovarian Cancer Research Center and The Lazarex Foundation.
“Through Wheel to Survive, Be the Difference Foundation has been instrumental in providing the funds desperately needed for research,” said Shrell. “Together, we continue to make a difference in the fight against ovarian cancer.”
To register/create a team for the ride, donate to a rider or find more information, please visit:
http://www.bethedifferencefoundation.org/wheel-to-survive/wheel-to-survive-dallas-2016/
Be the Difference Foundation was formed in 2012 by four ovarian cancer survivors who all wanted to “be the difference” in the fight against ovarian cancer by helping women increase their chance of survival. To achieve this goal, the Be the Difference Foundation focuses on raising awareness and money to fund programs for women fighting ovarian cancer today and to provide research dollars for a cure.
Wheel to Survive, presented by Be the Difference Foundation, is an uplifting, inspirational indoor cycling fundraiser to fund programs for women fight ovarian cancer today and provide research dollars for a cure. Since the first event in 2013, riders from across the country have raised more than $1.5 million for ovarian cancer research. Wheel to Survive events have been held in Dallas, Austin, San Francisco and San Diego. In 2016, Be the Difference Foundation will add three new Wheel to Survive events in Houston, El Paso and Lubbock.
About ovarian cancer:
1 in 70 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Less than 50% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years following their diagnosis, making it the deadliest gynecological cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women.
There is no reliable, routine early detection tool available for ovarian cancer today, making it exceedingly difficult to diagnose early. The Pap test does NOT detect ovarian cancer. Almost 70% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are diagnosed in Stage III or IV.
Ovarian cancer is called “the cancer that whispers” because symptoms (if the patient experiences any at all) areeasily overlooked or written off as gastrointestinal issues. Since an early detection tool is not yet available for ovarian cancer, awareness of symptoms and risk factors can save lives.
