Center of National Event to Fight Pancreatic Cancer in Southern Illinois

The fifth annual Jeanenne Thompson Walk with the Dogs event benefiting pancreatic cancer treatment and research is set for Saturday, June 5 in Nashville, Illinois. For the first time, participants are being encouraged to form named teams of four or more. Prizes go to the teams that raise the most in donations. Spirit awards will be presented.

$40,000 for Pancreatic Cancer

Organizer Christi Thompson Merrit of Lebanon, Tennessee, says that over the past four years, the international event has raised $40,000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Ten percent of the profit is earmarked for the Washington County (IL) K9 Fund, although last year Sheriff Charles Parker donated the K9 share back to the Foundation to pass along to the network.

In all in 2009, the event contributed $16,800 to the network for research and treatment, up $2,550 from 2008. The upcoming event will attempt to top the previous year's goal.

In Southern Illinois...and In Cyberspace

The event begins and ends at Nashville Memorial Park. The 5K/3.1 mile event starts at 7:30am and is not a race or timed event.

Nashville, Illinois (pop. 3200) is where walkers who have lined up pledges will be walking their dogs together on the morning of June 5. Linked in by the internet, "web-walkers," many of whom were acquaintances of Jeanenne Thompson from the dog show circuit, will sign on and locally walk their dogs.

In 2009, 195 people brought their dogs to participate in the Nashville event. They were supplemented by 116 web-walkers in 23 states. In 2008, there were 123 walkers in Nashville and 150 web-walkers.

Registration

Entry fee is $20 with a T-shirt for advance resgistration. Registering online costs the same, but there is a $5 shipping fee for the T-shirt. Kids can walk with their parents without cost, but there is a $10 charge for a T-shirt. Walkers in Nashville can also register the day of the event.

Sponsorships are also being sought with donor's names to be printed on the back of the T-shirt if received by April 1.

Nashville is located 50 miles west of St Louis, just south of the Nashville exit on I-64.

Pancreatic Cancer

According to Merrit, pancreatic cancer research is the least-funded cancer and is among the most formidable. This past year, actor Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer which reportedly has only a 3% survival rate. Other celebrities taken by pancreatic cancer include Michael Landon, Jack Benny, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie.

Jeanenne Thompson

Christi Thompson Merrit is the daughter of Nashville resident and long-time dog show exhibitor Jeanenne Thompson who died of pancreatic cancer February 15, 2005. Thompson had taken nine Doberman's to the Top 20 with a Best of Breed awarded at her last competition, the October 2004 National Doberman.

April 1 is the deadline for web-walkers to sign up online at http://jthompsonwalkwiththedogs.com/Resources/2010%20Sponsor%20Form.pdf