Official Report: Team Sarcoma 2009
With all teams reporting, we are excited to announce the incredible success of the 2009 Team Sarcoma Initiative.
Final Count of Participants: 16,894
A report of the week’s events, as published in the Electronic Sarcoma Update Newsletter, follows.
An Overview of the Week
The Team Sarcoma Initiative grew to involve 16,894 people in 2009. That number more than doubled last year’s and far surpassed our goal of 10,000 participants. The following graph shows the rapid growth in participation in the Team Sarcoma Initiative since its inception in 2003.
Growth Trend in the Team Sarcoma Initiative
A wide variety of activities were held around the world to increase sarcoma awareness, and teams raised over $450,000 to support various cancer centers and advocacy groups.
There were 2009 Team Sarcoma events in 14 countries and 28 states in the United States. Nearly all of the 90 events occurred during International Sarcoma Awareness Week, July 18-26, while members of the core team cycled from Cumberland, MD, to Washington, DC. The core team came together from 10 countries and represented 11 types of sarcoma.
An Overview of Team Sarcoma Events
As overall participation increased, thousands of people heard about sarcoma and attended sarcoma-related events for the first time. Lithuania joined the Initiative this year, as did teams in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, and South Carolina. Australia became the country with the most events outside of the United States and added some exciting activities, including dancing and surfing, to the array of TSI events. The Mexico team once again held the largest local event, where more than 2,000 people raced through Mexico City and into the Olympic Stadium. Poland held their first major event, where more than 1,100 people cycled through Warsaw. In North America, tens of thousands of people heard about sarcoma at a Kansas City Royals game and a Toronto Blue Jays game.
From China to Croatia to New York, educational events remained a strong component of the Initiative. Groups of patients, families and friends hosted a variety of creative activities this year. A little girl in Virginia started “Emily’s Lemonade Stand for Sarcoma,”where she accepted donations and shared information about sarcoma with more than 300 people. Several volunteers in Michigan spent all day in the summer heat washing dogs and raising money for leiomyosarcoma research. And the temperatures in Texas soared as a group of friends washed cars in Katy, and runners dressed as superheroes raced in Waco. Online activity increased dramatically when nearly 3,000 people posted information about sarcoma on their Facebook pages. The list of teams and organizations involved this year is truly impressive and is given at the end of this article.
Participation Around the World
We are thankful for the hundreds of people who volunteered their time and talent to create such a successful global Initiative. We also appreciate everyone who participated, many of whom walked, ran, cycled, surfed, danced, hula-hooped and donated to make a difference.
2009 Press Coverage
Many team organizers and participants were interviewed by the media. You’ll find their stories in the right column of this article. The following official press releases provide more information about the Initiative.
Dignitaries Honor the Team Sarcoma Initiative
International Sarcoma Awareness Week
Moments in Sarcoma Winners
Enhancing the Team Sarcoma Initiative Infrastructure and Visibility
Last year we wrote about stepping up our efforts to accommodate growth in the Team Sarcoma Initiative. The dynamic Team Sarcoma website is a result of those efforts, and it has allowed us to keep visitors updated as events occur. During a special project called Moments in Sarcoma, more than 100 visitors wrote in and shared their sarcoma experiences with us. New moments were featured daily on the site from April through August, and two survivors who shared their experiences were awarded sponsorships to join the Team Sarcoma Bike Tour.
There was a drastic increase in the number of visitors to the Team Sarcoma site during July, and many event organizers reported surprisingly high turnouts. We also worked to grow Team Sarcoma’s social networking presence throughout the year, and we now have nearly 3,000 members in the Team Sarcoma Facebook Group, where we post news and event announcements.
We will continue to adjust the way that we work in order to support local teams, communicate personally and effectively with team organizers and the public, and spread the word about the movement. Because of the Initiative’s growth, we are seeking additional volunteers to help with global coordination. We will request that team organizers communicate with us by certain dates in order to ensure that we market events to the greatest extent possible. We also plan to streamline our procedures so that communication is quicker and easier for everyone involved. Your feedback and suggestions are welcome.
You are Invited
Volunteers are already working to coordinate and communicate next year’s global Initiative, which will occur during the week of July 17-25, 2010.
Committed and caring people around the world have made the Team Sarcoma Initiative more successful each year. Our goal in 2010 is to have 20,000 people involved in a life-changing Initiative. Families are invited to plan events in their communities to increase awareness or raise funds for sarcoma research. Advocacy groups and cancer centers are invited to plan events that will strengthen their ties with patients and increase their reach. Whether enjoying a backyard barbeque, an educational seminar, or a thrilling race: Together, we are making a difference! Visit the Team Sarcoma site to learn about getting involved.
Official Team Sarcoma events need to be registered with us before they take place. It’s a very simple process: Send us a note as soon as possible telling us that you’d like to organize a local Team Sarcoma event, and we’ll be happy to provide more information.
About the Team Sarcoma Initiative
Since its inception in 2003, the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative has coordinated the Team Sarcoma Initiative. The effort is achieved through collaboration with numerous individuals and organizations that share a similar vision. Monies raised by Team Sarcoma events benefit many organizations and have funded more than $1 million in sarcoma research, advocacy and support to date.
5K Charity Run/Walk for Hope & Kids Fun Run
Public Head and Beard Shave for Sarcoma
