OXFORD, Miss. – Coach Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss baseball team are scheduled to lead the 10th annual Jean Jones Walk/Run for Cancer fundraiser Saturday (April 5) at the University of Mississippi.
“The Jean Jones Walk/Run for Cancer is a phenomenal event that allows people from all walks of life to come together and support a common cause,” said graduate student Lindsey Cagle of Memphis, a coordinator of the event.
The event is organized by the UM Counseling Center, where Jones served as director for 14 years before losing her battle with cancer in 1997.
The entry fee is $20 for individuals. Groups of five or more pay $10 each. The race begins in front of the Student Union at 8 a.m., with registration at 7 a.m. Participants can pre-register online at
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/stu?counseling/jjonesrw.htm .
Walkers complete a two-mile walk around campus, while runners complete a 5K track around campus. Awards are to be given for each individual age category as well as for the first runner who completes the 5K route.
Besides raising money for the Baptist Hospital Cancer Institute Patient Assistance Fund, the event also is intended to provide funds for a graduate assistantship in the Counseling Center to a female student working toward a degree in leadership and counselor education.
“It’s a good experience to see everyone gather together and support the same cause that can affect so many people,” said junior Christine Melancon of Baton Rouge. “We are unaware of how many people around us are suffering from cancer or have someone close to them in that situation.”
Sponsors for the walk/run include Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, University Counseling Center, Campus Programming, Campus Recreation, Health Works, University Sporting Goods and the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi.
“The Walk/Run for Cancer allows us not only to commemorate Jean Jones but to also raise money that can benefit those in our own community who are dealing with this illness,” said Cagle, who is pursing a master’s degree in counselor education.
For more information about the Jean Jones Walk/Run for Cancer, contact Cagle or Heath Capps, 662-915-7939 or ldcagle@olemiss.edu or hecapps@olemiss.edu. For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-3784.