BALTIMORE, Maryland – October 14, 2014 – On Sunday, October 20th, 24 runners and support staff from all across the country will meet in San Diego’s Mission Beach and set off on a 700-mile journey to Sonoma, CA. The run, Mission to Vine (M2V), has a collective goal to raise awareness and funds to help young adults affected by cancer. Included in this group of 18 runners and 6 support staff are 6 cancer survivors, but all the participants have had cancer impact their lives either through their own diagnosis or that of a loved one, and all have a true passion for making an impact in the lives of others who have had to deal with this terrible disease.

“This is more than just a run,” says Brock Yetso, Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF) CEO. “We are making a statement about young adult cancer. With nearly 70,000 young adults being diagnosed with cancer every year, we want everyone to know that cancer impacts far too many people. Some on the run know what it’s like to face cancer first-hand and the rest of us know what it’s like to help a loved one fight. UCF was established so that no young adult has to face cancer alone and we want to spread that message of hope to all.”

From San Diego, the run will travel through Irvine (Oct. 20-21), Los Angeles (Oct. 21), Ventura (Oct. 21-22), Paso Robles (Oct. 22-23), Monterey (Oct. 23-24), San Francisco (Oct. 24-25), and arrive in Sonoma on Saturday, October 25, 2014. Along the route the M2V group plans to visit and distribute Chemo Care Bags at two cancer centers: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. These visits provide the group opportunities to interact in meaningful ways with people affected by cancer along their route. The group will have help assembling the Chemo Care Bags when they visit Spectrum Pharmaceuticals in Irvine, CA. The group will also award a college scholarship to a young adult affected by cancer in the San Francisco Bay area.

The money being raised by the M2V ride will help fund UCF’s Young Adult Patient Navigation program and other survivorship programs, including Cancer to 5K. Cancer to 5K founder, Holly Shoemaker, a melanoma survivor, is part of the M2V team, as is Christina Miller, a breast cancer survivor and mother of three who credits Cancer to 5K with changing her life and shares “I am so excited to be a part of the Mission to Vine team. Although the challenge is daunting, nothing can compare to the challenges my family and I have already faced. I CAN DO THIS!”

Doug Ulman, three-time cancer survivor and UCF Founder, will also join the M2V team for their arrival in Sonoma.

“Mission to Vine is yet another example of the power of the human spirit – individuals tackling a challenge so great in the name of a mission so much bigger than any of us. I am honored to be a part of this incredible experience.”

Follow Doug’s M2V journey on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LIVESTRONGCEO.

Over $65,000 has been raised towards a goal of $100,000. Donations are continuing to be accepted at: https://ulmanfoundation.org/mission-to-vine-fundraising-page/

Follow the journey and join the conversation by using #M2V2014, following @ulmancancerfnd on Twitter, and liking https://www.facebook.com/missiontovine on Facebook.

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