MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance is hoping you'll 'Tie it Teal' this September to help raise awareness for the disease.
They want you to lace up your favorite sneakers, skates or shoes with their teal laces, in an effort to spread the word about Ovarian Cancer. Why? There is no test, and early detection is key. Not to mention the symptoms can be vague. You can check them out at www.mnovarian.org.
An Eagan family decided to take their teal to all new heights by hiking to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Robyn Ringberg has wanted to reach the summit since she was 16. In June, she, her dad Bruce, her husband Tom and his sister Margaret made the journey. But it became about so much more than just the climb.
"She always encouraged me in all of my adventures," says Robyn.
Robyn is referring to her mother Judy. The climb up 19,341 became about honoring her memory.
"Climbing Kilimanjaro is about one step at a time, just like you do with cancer. It's one step at a time and there are twists and turns that you don't anticipate," says Judy's husband Bruce.
Ovarian Cancer took Judy Ruggles in September 2010. She was just 52 years old. The group wore their teal laces in their shoes as they climbed every last foot of the mountain. Robyn was sick the entire time, suffering from a food allergy.
"I'm doing this for my mom and I'm going to get through this no matter how hard it is, and so I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and somehow made it all the way up those 19-thousand feet," says Robyn.
Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance says the attention Bruce and Robyn are bringing to the disease is important.
"It's an under-funded and overlooked disease and anything we can do to bring attention to it will propel us closer to an early detection test and a cure which is our goal," says MOCA Executive Director Kathleen Gavin.
MOCA has given out thousands of the laces to high school athletes, who plan to sport them this month. They also have a run/walk Saturday, September 8th. You can still register at www.mnovarian.org
The 35W bridge will be lit up teal this friday night and they plan to team up with the Minnesota Twins for an Ovarian Cancer night on September 13th.
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