5K run/walk in Merced on Saturday to raise money for local cancer patients

A local foundation and cancer center will have a 5k run/walk fundraiser, Dash Out for Cancer, this weekend to support Merced cancer patients.

The Merced Cancer Society Foundation and El Portal Medical Center will be having their annual fundraiser on Saturday at the Merced High School track.

With the help of local sponsors, said Cristina Ramirez, supervising event coordinator for the foundation, they’re able to have a health fair during the event, with information on different types of cancers, screenings, general medicine and health insurance information.

The event is open to everyone in the community and people can register until Saturday, the day of the event. To register ahead of time people can go to www.mercedcancersociety.org or at the informational booth on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.

There will be raffles, zumba, mixed martial arts demonstrations and a balloon release.

For adults registration is $60 and $25 for students. All the money goes to the Merced Cancer Society Foundation that disburses financial assistance to cancer patients in Merced.

The Cancer Center has come across a lot of people who don’t have a form of transportation to get to their treatments or appointments, Ramirez said, or are unable to pay co-payments or medicines.

The foundation is able to give people who qualify with gas cards, shuttle transportation and assistance with co-payments and medications.

“That way they can get through the cancer journey with out stressing how to get through treatment,” Ramirez said. Everyone who walks through the door is a family member.”

This story was originally published April 3, 2017 at 5:19 PM with the headline "5K run/walk in Merced on Saturday to raise money for local cancer patients."