Family Inspires Bellevue Woman's Run for Ovarian Cancer Cure

Corinne Cope of Bellevue and her family were inspired to fight ovarian cancer by two aunts named Mary, both of whom died of the disease in the past four years.

Not only will Cope's family run in this weekend's Swedish SummeRun, but the family created their own fundraiser -- the Totally Teal Toast -- a bar crawl in Bellevue that benefits the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer, which raises money to prevent the disease. 

Cope, originally from Sammamish, and her family, including her sisters Jessica Shane and Jackie Immel, and their parents, Mike and Ponch Immel, will participate in this weekend's run, which will be Sunday morning in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood near Swedish Medical Center.

Cope said they also were inspired by a neighbor who died after being diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, the most advanced stage.

"Ovarian cancer is something that can be so often overlooked," Cope said. She said that it's important to raise awareness because early detection is effective in helping women survive the disease, though many women are in the late stages when it is finally diagnosed.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ovarian cancer is often not detected in its early stages because symptoms are similar to other common conditions. Researchers are working on finding a way to detect ovarian cancer at earlier stages of the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The family started raising money two years ago, participating in the SummeRun and creating the Totally Teal Toast.

About 80 people participate in the Totally Teal Toast, which takes place in February, Cope said. That fundraiser is also fun -- participants dress up in an 1980s theme, and can win prizes for the best costumes.

"This year, someone had homemade 'Hammer' pants, and someone else dressed up as Slash," she said. "The 80s theme was just fun."

Cope said her family was debating whether their team of about 20 will run this weekend donning 1980s gear like they do with Totally Teal, or whether simply to wear teal blue, which is in the color representing ovarian cancer awareness.

"We haven't decided," she said.

The Swedish SummeRun & Walk for Ovarian Cancer was created 19 years ago in to raise money to provide treatment for ovarian cancer and to support research to find a cure.

For more information about the event go to www.summerun.org. For more information about the Rivkin Center visit http://www.marsharivkin.org/.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected. The number of participants in Totally Teal Toast was incorrect.