Fourth Annual Dress in Blue Day to Sweep Across America

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Colon Cancer Alliance's 4th annual national Dress in Blue Day program will be held in communities throughout the nation on Friday, March 2nd as part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.   National Dress in Blue Day takes place on the first Friday in March and is designed to promote awareness of colon cancer and encourage people to get their colon checked. Dress in Blue Day fundraising will benefit the Colon Cancer Alliance's Blue Note Fund program, supporting colon cancer patients in need.

"Dress in Blue Day has grown considerably since its inception in 2009," said Andrew Spiegel, CEO of the Colon Cancer Alliance.  "Over the years, the Dress in Blue Day program has helped a growing number of Americans become aware of colon cancer and the importance of being screened.  With each passing year, we are steps closer to creating a future free of colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States."

Currently, colon cancer affects 1 in 19 people and a life is lost to this disease every ten minutes. It is often beatable when detected and treated in its early stages or can be prevented altogether when polyps are removed before they develop into cancer. Dress in Blue Day encourages local communities, businesses and the general public to support awareness of colon cancer by dressing in blue and hosting educational events. Promotional materials and resources are available at www.dressinblueday.com.

The Colon Cancer Alliance is the nation's leading colon cancer patient advocacy organization, focused on prevention and survivorship of this disease.  The Colon Cancer Alliance provides a variety of support, education and awareness programs throughout the year for patients, survivors, caregivers and the general public.

The Dress in Blue Day program is sponsored in part by Salix Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.

The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a community that provides hope and support to patients and their families, while saving lives through screening, access, awareness, advocacy and research.

SOURCE Colon Cancer Alliance