It’s time to ‘ Get Up There’

Fundraiser and mountain walking event raising awareness of colon cancer

Marc Gascoigne wants more Nova Scotians to spend a couple of awkward minutes in the bathroom.

Gascoigne is an organizer of Get Up There, a fun event to raise funds and awareness for Nova Scotia’s colorectal cancer screening program.

He says the province’s program is one of the best.

“Everyone over 50 receives a colorectal cancer screening kit in the mail and, basically, there’s no guarantees, but if everyone returned it, then no one over 50 should get colon cancer,” says Gascoigne.

Right now only 30 per cent return the kit.

“Because it’s icky, it’s poop,” says Gascoigne. “But it only takes a couple of minutes, you mail it back in and that’s it.”

Gascoigne’s father Bob died from colon cancer in 2008, inspiring Marc to start Get Up There.

“The more I read about it, the more I realized how preventable it is and we decided to do this as an homage to my father,” said Gascoigne.

His father was a mountain climber when he was young and a skier and ski instructor for 20 years right up to his death.

“I don’t know how we came up with the idea, to be honest, it’s all kind of a blur but he loved the mountains and it all fits,” he said.

Get Up There has raised $ 300,000 the last eight years.

Last year about 120 people on 18 teams raised money, then spent a day in February walking up Ski Wentworth and skiing down.

Organizers shuttle ski equipment to the top of the hill for participants and the day lasts

from 8: 30 a. m. to 4: 30 p. m.

It takes 40 minutes to an hour to walk up; there’s a warming hut where you can have a drink and get a bite to eat before skiing down.

“Most people do about three or four laps. It’s enough, you’ll know you did something but you’ll still be able to tie your shoe laces.”

Gascoigne says Ski Wentworth

supports the fundraiser with staff and resources and Bell Media and the Chronicle Herald match funds raised by the teams.

Gascoigne says most of the teams come from the Halifax area and he’d like to see the event attract people from all across Nova Scotia.