International Walk with the Dogs, June 6, 2009 in Nashville, IL

The Fourth Annual Jeanenne Thompson 5K Walk With the Dogs in Nashville, Illinois (pop 3200) is coming up June 6, 2009. Once again, participants will seek to top previous fund-raising totals to help beat pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer strikes more than 37,000 Americans each year. It is the least funded in research and the most formidable with a 3% five-year survival rate.

Actor Patrick Swayze is currently battling pancreatic cancer. US Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently had surgey for pancreatic cancer which was luckily detected in its early stages..

Well-known celebrities who lost their fight against pancreatic cancer include Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Landon, Jack Benny, Count Basie, and Luciano Pavarotti.

International Event

Last year, the small town event had 123 dog-walkers turn out for the event. There were also 150 internet-linked "web-walkers" from 23 states and in Australia who participated. The first year, $7,000 was raised by 121 Nashville participants and 136 web-walkers. In 2007, the event raised $10,000. In 2008, the event brought in a record $14,250.

As always, 10% of the money collected is earmarked for the Washington County Sheriff's Department for its K-9 Fund. However, last year the sheriff's department returned $1,100 for the Jeanenne Thompson Foundation to donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Honors Nashville Resident

The event memorializes Jeanenne Thompson, a long-time Nashville dog show exhibitor who died of pancreatic cancer February 15, 2005, shortly after winning Best of Breed at the Doberman National Show in November.

Many of the web-walkers are friends of Thompson from the dog show circuit, unable to attend the Nashville event. Other participants are families with first-hand experience of loss to pancreatic cancer. The event was organized by her daughter, Christi Thompson Merritt, who grew up in Washington County but now lives in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Event Schedule

The 5K/3.1 mile walk this year will begin and end at Nashville Memorial Park on June 6, 2009. It will begin at 7:30am. The internet-linked web-walkers will do the same in their own hometowns. The event is intended as a walk, not a timed race for either human or canine.

A raffle and silent auction will also be held in Nashville.

Registration

Entry fee is $20 and those who register in advance get a T-shirt. Kids can walk with their parents at no cost although a T-shirt is $10. Registrations are accepted at the event itself. Online registrants are charged $20 entry fee plus $5 for shipping for the T-shirt.

Nashville is located just off I-64, 50 miles east of St Louis.

Sponsors hope to again beat the previous year's total, with 90% to pancreatic cancer research and 10% for the Washington County Sheriff's Department K-9 fund.

Web-walkers can sign up at www.jthompsonwalkwiththedogs.com/registration.html.