Americans to Wear Blue for a Future Free of Colon Cancer

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Why should you wear blue? That's the question the Colon Cancer Alliance wants communities, businesses and individuals across the United States to answer during its 5th annual Dress in Blue Day(TM) program. On Friday, March 1st, 2013 Americans will be wearing blue for a variety of reasons, from honoring a friend or family member to bringing greater awareness to colon cancer and the importance of being screened.

The Colon Cancer Alliance's National Dress in Blue Day takes place on the first Friday in March and kicks off March as National Colorectal Cancer Month every year. The program is designed to promote awareness of colon cancer, encourage people to get their colon checked and ultimately, to put an end to this often preventable disease. Fundraising from Dress in Blue Day activities will benefit the Colon Cancer Alliance's mission and screening, patient support and research programs.

"Support for Dress in Blue Day has grown tremendously since we took this program to the national level in 2009," said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance. "Each year, we are inspired to hear about more and more communities, individuals and businesses who are taking great strides to support Dress in Blue Day. Our goal is to have the entire country going blue so everyone knows that this is a cancer they can do something about – whether it's by wearing blue, holding an event or taking charge of their health by talking to their doctor."

Currently, colon cancer affects 1 in 20 people. More than 143,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease this year and 51,690 people will lose their battle with the disease. However, there is good news. Colon cancer is often beatable when detected and treated in its early stages or can be prevented altogether when polyps are removed before they develop into cancer. Dress in Blue Day encourages local communities, businesses and the general public to support awareness of colon cancer by dressing in blue and hosting educational events. Promotional materials and resources are available for free at www.dressinblueday.com.

"Our advocates consistently come back and tell us that Dress in Blue Day encouraged a friend or coworker or loved one to finally talk to their doctor about getting a screening test. And guess what? It always turns out that the test saved their life. That's why this day is so important. It's not just about wearing blue - it's about saving lives and making a difference."

The Colon Cancer Alliance is the nation's leading colon cancer patient advocacy organization, focused on prevention and survivorship of this disease. The Colon Cancer Alliance provides a variety of support, education and awareness programs throughout the year for patients, survivors, caregivers and the general public.

The Dress in Blue Day program is sponsored in part by Genentech

The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a community that provides hope and support to patients and their families, while saving lives through screening, access, awareness, advocacy and research.