HERA Foundation Hosts Fourth Annual HERA Climb4Life Colorado June 11 – 12, 2010

March 31, 2010 - PRLog -- DENVER, COLO. (March 31, 2010) The HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation’s 4th Annual HERA Climb4Life Colorado takes place on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, 2010. The hiking and rock climbing event benefits the HERA Foundation (Health, Empowerment, Research, Awareness), a Denver based non-profit, and raises awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer that are critical in obtaining an early diagnosis of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, early diagnosis increases the 5-year survival rate to 93 percent, however less than 20 percent of all ovarian cancer is found at the early stage.  Through community sponsorship and participant fundraising, the event also raises money for HERA’s OSB1 ovarian cancer research grant program and national education initiatives.

HERA Climb4Life Colorado is presented by REI Boulder (1789 28th Street), Boulder Rock Club and Colorado Mountain School (2829 Mapleton Avenue), and will include hiking and climbing activities and outdoor skills clinics in Boulder and surrounding areas with the support of professional guides and professional rock climbing athletes.  The hiking trail options vary in length and technical challenge, while the rock climbing locations provide a world-class rock climbing experience for participants at every ability level, including novices.  New for the 2010 event are outdoor-skills clinics that include orienteering and wilderness first aid.

Women, men, and children over six years of age are encouraged to participate. Registration is available now at www.herafoundation.org.   Early registration is $60 per person and runs through May 24; after that date registration is $75 per person.  Registered participants receive a goodie bag containing items from HERA sponsors; admission to the Hang Time Happy Hour, the Summit Party, which includes food and beverages; the Climb4Life After-Party for participants ages 21 and older; event day continental breakfast, yoga classes, and sports massage; a pre-event or event day Learn to Climb course if applicable; and one complimentary entry into an incredible giveaway of outdoor gear.

Participants can earn additional entries into the giveaway through fundraising prior to the event, using fundraising tips and tools provided by the HERA Foundation.  For every $100 raised from March 11 to June 11, 2010, the participant’s name will be entered into the giveaway.  Special prize packages are also awarded to the top three individual fundraisers and the top fundraising team.  In addition, HERA will be conducting a silent auction throughout the weekend.  Of the money raised by HERA, 85 percent is invested in ovarian cancer research, awareness, education, and support.

Last year’s Climb4Life Colorado event raised over $60,000 and attracted over 150 participants, volunteers, and professional athletes. Organizers anticipate the 2010 event to be the largest turnout yet as HERA continues the legacy of the organization’s founder, Sean Patrick of Carbondale, Colo., who passed away on January 20, 2009 from complications related to ovarian cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society, a woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 71.

“The Fourth Annual HERA Climb4Life Colorado is an important event for us this year,” said Danni Lederman, HERA Foundation’s executive director. “One of our goals is to raise awareness and educate the public about ovarian cancer signs and symptoms.  A great way to achieve that is through outreach at events like the HERA Climb4Life series,” says Lederman. The HERA Foundation also holds Climb4Life events in Salt Lake City, Utah and in the Metro Washington, DC area. To date, the events have raised over 1 million dollars and have provided seed grants to nearly 20 research teams that include Ph.D. and M.D. fellows at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Austin. “The events provide a platform to talk about what HERA and other organizations in the ovarian cancer community are doing to help save women’s lives and also provide survivors with the opportunity to share their stories and celebrate life,” Lederman adds.

4th Annual HERA Climb4Life Colorado
Schedule of Special Events:

Friday, June 11
Hang Time Happy Hour
Location: Avery Brewing Company (5763 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO)
Appetizers, drinks, gear giveaway, silent auction, participant check-in, goodie bag distribution
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 12
Vinyasa Yoga
Location: Boulder Rock Club &
Colorado Mountain School (2829 Mapleton Avenue)
Yoga, continental breakfast, silent auction, participant check-in, goodie bag distribution
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Climbing, Hiking, and Outdoor Skills Clinics
Location: Boulder & surrounding areas
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Sports Massage
Location: Boulder Rock Club &
Colorado Mountain School (2829 Mapleton Avenue)
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Summit Party
Location: Foothills Community Park in North Boulder (800 Cherry Ave., Boulder, CO)
Dinner, drinks, fundraising awards, gear giveaway, silent auction results
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

HERA Climb4Life Colorado After-Party
Location: Bácaro Venetian Taverna (921 Pearl St., Boulder, CO)
Eat, drink and celebrate life with fellow C4L participants.
Time: 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.

HERA Climb4Life Seven Summit Sponsors:
Arc’teryx, Black Diamond Climbing Equipment, BlueWater Ropes, Boulder Rock Club, Climbing Magazine, Colorado Mountain School, Evolv, FoxRiver, Guyot Designs, Liberty Heights Fresh, MadRock Climbing, Montrail (Visionary Sponsor), Mountain Hardwear, Omega Pacific, Patagonia, Petzl, prAna, REI, Rock & Ice, Sea to Summit, SMC, Stonewear Designs, Trail Runner Magazine, The North Face, Utah Mountain Adventures and Women’s Adventure Magazine.  

About the HERA Foundation
The HERA Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3, whose mission is to stop the loss of mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, partners and girlfriends from ovarian cancer by empowering women to take control of their health, empowering the medical community to find new directions in ovarian cancer research and empowering communities to provide support. HERA is an acronym for Health, Empowerment, Research and Awareness.  For more information, visit www.herafoundation.org.

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The HERA Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3, The mission of the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation is to stop the loss of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, wives, partners and girlfriends from ovarian cancer.

www.herafoundation.org