HEALTH BRIEFS

Heart and Sole shoe drive

For the month of February The BAR School of Athletic Performance & Personal Training Studio is holding a Heart and Sole shoe drive. The studio is aiming to collect more than 1,000 shoes and 300 socks to donate to the needy.

Drop off donations at The BAR fitness studio, 4425 E. Agave.

For more information, call Tracy at (480) 330-2321.

Skirt Chaser 5K

Get ready for a whole new 5K. SkirtSports is excited to announce their SkirtChaser 5K event where, yes, shorts are optional. The company who first invented and launched the original fitness running skirt design is bringing a whole new twist to the world of running with their national SkirtChaser Race Series.

Teaming up with local Tempe sponsors, Nicole DeBoom, Ironman champion and CEO of SkirtSports, is bringing the SkirtChaser 5K to Tempe at 6 p.m. Feb. 29.

Artery Explorer at Start! Walk

A state-of-the-art motion simulator, the Artery Explorer, will be on display at the American Heart Association’s Start! Walk at Tempe Beach Park March 1. AstraZeneca, maker of the Artery Explorer, is one of three national sponsors of Start!, a movement which encourages Americans and their employers to live longer, stronger and healthier lives by promoting walking and other heart healthy habits.

The Artery Explorer is an interactive experience that takes participants on a journey through arteries affected by atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque within the walls of the arteries that can lead to heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

For more information, please contact Apoorva Sabnis-Stull at (202) 326-1815 or apoorva.sabnis-stull@edelman.com.

Yard sale for cancer research

Ahwatukee Foothills resident Kristi Soerensen will be holding a yard sale to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure from 7 a.m. to noon March 1 on the grassy area on East Cathedral Rock Drive behind Safeway.

Soerensen is holding the sale to raise money for participation in the 2008 Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in which she must raise $2,200 to participate.

To donate, call Soerensen at (480) 229-8948

Ovarian cancer presentation

The public is invited to join Dr. Amol Rakkar, a member of The Wellness Community’s Professional Advisory Board, for a free informative presentation on ovarian cancer Feb. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. Dr. Rakkar will present an overview of the latest research on ovarian cancer, including current treatments and side effect management. Ample time will be devoted for questions from the audience.

The Wellness Community is located at 360 E. Palm Lane near downtown Phoenix.

For more information and/or to RSVP, call (602) 712-1006 or visit www.twccaz.org.

Valley of the Sun half marathon

Registration is open for one of the country’s fastest and beautiful running races, the Valley of the Sun half marathon, at 6:15 a.m. March 9.

For more information, visit www.valleyofthesunmarathon.com.

Ahwatukee Jazzercise

Get into shape this year with new Jazzercise Lite classes offered by Ahwatukee Foothills resident Cindy Schulze.

Classes are Monday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at Mountain Park Community Church and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9:30 a.m. at Center Pointe Dance.

Mountain Park Community Church is located at 2408 E. Pecos Road. Center Pointe Dance is located at 12020 S. Warner-Elliot Loop, Suite 110.

For more information, contact Schulze at (602) 292-7521 or jazzisfun@cox.net.

CHW appointments for mammography services

Catholic Healthcare West’s hospitals and urgent care centers is offering same- and next-day appointments for mammography services at four East Valley locations.

According to Apodaca, CHW’s breast biopsy program employs minimally invasive techniques for stereotactic and ultrasound-guided biopsies, which are performed by a team of highly trained, board-certified radiologists. Both techniques are useful when there are suspicious changes on the mammogram that can also be seen on an ultrasound exam but no abnormality can be felt on breast self-examination or clinical examination by a physician.

For same or next-day appointment information, or to learn more about the facility’s hours of operation, please call (480) 728-3900.

Lymphoma Research Foundation monthly meeting

The Arizona Chapter of the Lymphoma Research Foundation hosts free monthly meetings for lymphoma patients, their loved ones, health care professionals or anyone interested in supporting lymphoma awareness and education.

From 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. Feb. 25 guest speaker Joan Mistrough, LRF National Walk chairperson, will discuss future growth of the Lymphomathon (5K Walk) and major gift giving at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, first floor conference room, 10460 N. 92nd St., Scottsdale.

For additional information, e-mail Arizona@lymphoma.org or call Susan at (623) 266-4742.

'Play it Safe’

Phoenix Children’s Hospital Emergency Department presents “Play it Safe,” a family-friendly event aimed at educating the community, patients and staff about health and safety issues related to summertime activities.

Information on topics such as water safety, animal and insect bites, proper hydration, sunscreen use, CPR, bike helmet safety and booster seat installation will be provided from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 by members of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, Phoenix Fire Department and Poison Control. The Phoenix Fire Department’s “Baby Shots” team will be on hand providing free immunizations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the same day.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital is located at 1919 E. Thomas Road in Phoenix.

Fifth Annual Phoenix

Tour de Cure

The Valley of the Sun Chapter of the American Diabetes Association invites cyclists of all levels to register now for the Fifth Annual Phoenix Tour de Cure, a cycling event to raise money for diabetes, the nation’s fifth leading cause of death by disease.

Once participants are registered, they will receive an online ID and password. The online ID and password will allow them to create their own personal Web site. Not only can cyclists upload their own photos and compose personal statements about their participation in the annual Phoenix Tour de Cure, they can also recruit volunteers for a team, request donations, change donation goals and challenge others to support diabetes education and research.

The Tour de Cure consists of a 10-mile family and novice-friendly ride, a 35-mile route and Metric Century route (62.5 miles). All routes have been created by experienced cyclists to provide a safe and memorable riding event for all participants.

The Fifth Annual Phoenix Tour de Cure will occur March 15 at Reach 11 Sports Complex, 2425 E. Deer Valley Road (at Deer Valley and Cave Creek Roads), in Phoenix.

To register and for more information, cyclists and volunteers can call 1 (888) DIABETES, ext. 7093, or www.diabetes.org/tour.

MS Bike Tour

The National MS Society will be hosting its 22nd annual Bike MS March 29 and 30 in Florence. The bike MS: Round Up Ride raises more than $650,000 annually to support local programs and research for more than 8,000 Arizonans living with the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. The ride will include a figure-eight route that travels through Florence, Coolidge, Casa Grande, Sacaton and Queen Creek. The ride will begin at Heritage Park in Florence and cyclists can choose from four available mileage options: a 35-mile route, a 75-mile route, a one-day 100-mile route or the two-day 150-mile route. To help cyclists prepare for the event, the Arizona Chapter will be hosting weekly training rides in various cities.

To learn more or to register, visit http://bikeaza.nationalMSsociety.org or call 1 (800) 344-4867.

YMCA 5K

The Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA 5K run, walk and kids run is April 12 at 8 a.m. There will be a cash prize for the top three men and women.

Registration is $25 for adults and $12 for kids before April 5 and is available at www.active.com or at the YMCA.

For more information, contact David Allison at (480) 326-1495.

Pat’s Run

The fourth annual Pat’s Run presented by SRP will be held at 7 a.m. April 19 at Sun Devil Stadium to celebrate the life of scholar-athlete Pat Tillman. The 4.2-mile run/walk will finish on the 42-yardline of Sun Devil Stadium, where Tillman wore jersey No. 42 as an Arizona State Sun Devil.

Participants can register online at www.patsrun.com until April 15 or at the Sun Devil Stadium North End from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 16 to 18. Registration will also be available on race day morning at Packard Drive and Rio Salado Drive.

For more information, visit www.patsrun.com or call (480) 338-0911.

Walk Like MADD 5K

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will host Walk Like MADD 5K, with the call to action, “Let’s Eliminate Drunk Driving,” as its signature fundraiser walk at 7:40 a.m. April 26 at the Phoenix Zoo. The walk, held each year in more than 30 cities nationwide, was formerly called Strides for Change.

Activities include face painting, arts and crafts, tours of police vehicles, music, ignition interlock demonstrations and more.

Those interested in participating, or becoming a virtual walker can visit www.walklikemadd.org.

Y-ME Walk to Empower

At 7:30 a.m. on Mother’s Day, May 11, more than 1,600 walkers and volunteers will gather in Tempe Beach Park for Y-ME’s Second Annual Walk to Empower, a three-mile non-competitive walk.

The event promises to inspire and empower all who attend, providing the perfect way to honor the survivors, commemorate personal diagnosis and remember those who are no longer with us. Walkers can raise funds in support of Y-ME’s free-of-charge programs and services that are offered to all those touched by breast cancer.

Register today at www.y-me.org to walk or volunteer at the Walk to Empower. For more information, call (877) YME-7223 ext. 2730.