Dress in Blue Day Raises More Than $2,000 for Markey

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 29, 2011) — UK HealthCare's second annual "Dress in Blue Day" raised $2,174.90 for the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.

Dress in Blue Day, held annually on a Friday during March, was created to raise awareness of colon cancer and its prevalence in the country. On this day, UK HealthCare employees are encouraged to make a donation to wear jeans and blue clothing to support colon cancer awareness.

Colon cancer is preventable, but unfortunately it remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer screening should begin at age 50 or earlier if you have a family history of colon or rectal cancer. Recent data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry shows that more than a third of eligible Kentuckians have not received a colon cancer screening.

All money raised from Dress in Blue Day will go to the UK Markey Cancer Center’s Colon Cancer Prevention & Awareness Programs, which support and promote early detection, research and education to save lives.

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 257-1754, ext. 225; allison.perry@uky.edu