Residents in Anson County will now have improved access to colon cancer resources thanks to a generous grant from the Colon Cancer Coalition.

The Coalition is awarding Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute a $20,000 grant to support Get FIT for Life. The money for this grant comes from funds raised during the 2018 Get Your Rear in Gear – Charlotte event.

The Get FIT for Life program will target underserved, uninsured and underinsured men and women across Anson and Stanly counties. The program will be led by a specialist who will identify patients in need, connect them to critical resources, and lay the framework for the health literacy education required to sustain long-term wellness, a news release said.

Mellisa Wheeler, director of disparities and outreach at Levine Cancer Institute, said hundreds of individuals in the region lack the education to understand why colon cancer screening is critical, or lack the ability to pay for it through insurance or other means. Funding from the Coalition, she said, will help that effort.

In the release, Anne Carlson of the Coalition said the support will help a large number of people in Anson and Stanley counties.

“We know that over 1,500 North Carolinians will lose their lives from this disease in 2019. Working in these communities will help us increase screening for colorectal cancer and save lives,” Carlson said.

A Coalition representative presented a check to Wheeler and her team at a ceremony in January at Levine Cancer Institute.

Registration for the 2019 Get Your Rear in Gear is available at coloncancercoalition.org/charlotte.

The Anson Record