Here’s something you don’t get to do every day. Step inside a giant colon. The inflatable structure set up outside 4 Riverside is part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Week, which runs March 1-5. 

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine students are working with Carilion Clinic internal medicine residents to hold a number of activities each day, including virtual Colon Crawl (5K run/walk) and two lectures about the new colon cancer screening guidelines and the relationship between nutrition and colon cancer. The week will culminate Friday with “Dress in Blue Day” to bring awareness to the disease and support to the national Colorectal Alliance — as well as honor all who are impacted by colorectal cancer.

This year, an estimated 149,500 people will be diagnosed with this highly preventable disease. They will join more than 1.4 million colorectal cancer patients and survivors living today. 

Lindsey Bierle, Carilion Clinic internal medicine resident, started Colorectal Cancer Awareness Week in 2019 in honor of her father who had passed away from the disease. 

For more information about any of the week’s activities, contact VTCSOM second-year student Elina Kim.