Who is ready to run for a cause? Join in for the seventh annual Next Step Is the Cure 5K event on Saturday, October 5, at Alderman’s Ford Conservation Park in Plant City to help bring awareness and raise funds for research for ocular melanoma. Ocular melanoma is a rare disease which affects six out of 1 million people each year. Currently, with no known cure, ocular melanoma is referred to as an orphan disease. Of the people diagnosed, 50 percent of them will develop metastasis that usually travels to the liver and the lungs.
Bernadette Boyle and Linda O’Brien, the race directors for this event, have a vested interest in this disease. Bernadette lost her husband, Joe Boyle, to this dreaded cancer in January 2016, and O’Brien is still fighting with yearly scans and eye exams; O’Brien remains NED (no evidence of disease). Their decision to organize a 5K started back in 2017 when they learned that the Melanoma Research Foundation’s ‘Miles for Melanoma’ was not going to be held in the Tampa area. Bernadette and O’Brien saw a need to continue with this mission and raise funds for research and awareness of ocular melanoma.
Bernadette and O’Brien are extremely excited about returning to Alderman’s Ford Conservation Park; they will continue to promote the local family-run businesses and surrounding businesses in the FishHawk area. Bernadette and O’Brien will again be reaching out to the area schools to see if students are interested in volunteer hours to assist on the day of the event.
Their hopes for this year’s event are simple: to surpass their 2023 achievements. In 2023, there were over 200 people registered, 40-plus raffle items, 20-plus sponsors and $15,000 raised and donated to the Melanoma Research Foundation. Like every year, Bernadette and O’Brien hope to bring awareness to this orphan disease and remind everyone of the importance of an annual dilated eye exam.
Representatives from the Melanoma Research Foundation will be speaking about ocular melanoma and current research that is happening because of events like this. They have also invited a prominent doctor from Moffitt Cancer Center who will be speaking about the research being done on ocular melanoma, as well as a doctor from the Retina Associates of Florida. Their passion is exemplified through every detail of this race because they know that every dollar raised goes directly to the Melanoma Research Foundation — Cure Ocular Melanoma.
Along with shirts, finisher medals and swag bags for all participants, there will be awards given to first, second and third place in both the men’s and women’s groups. With 13 age groups and a fun run for younger children, there is a place for everyone to participate.
Visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/cureocularmelanoma and the Instagram page @yournextstepisthecure to follow the event’s posts and updates.
If you are interested in learning more about the event and/or sponsoring or donating, email yournextstepisthecure@aol.com.
To register for the race/walk and to donate, please visit https://runsignup.com/race/fl/lithia/yournextstepisthecure or scan the QR code.
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