Event raises $6,500 for St. Charles cancer survivorship

Gusting wind may have affected outdoor displays, but it didn’t dampen the spirit of those who participated in and attended the Saturday, Oct. 10 “Press On: Moving Lives Through Cancer” event at Atlas Cider Company in Bend, which raised more than $6,500 for Central Oregon cancer survivorship programs.

A Bend-based PT Pub Night event established to spotlight the role movement and exercise can play in the lives of cancer survivors and those affected by the disease, Press On was a community celebration featuring food, drink, live music, and educational booths hosted by area PTs, health care providers and nonprofit organizations.

“The weather didn’t completely cooperate with us Saturday, but Press On still drew hundreds of people for some delicious Atlas Cider, some wonderful live music from our performers, and to celebrate cancer survivorship in our community,” said Bend oncology physical therapist Meredith Wampler-Kuhn, PT, DPTSc, lead organizers of the event. “We’re so grateful to the sponsors, exhibitors and attendees who pressed on through some heavy wind gusts to support this great cause.”

A combination of funds raised through sponsorship and on-site sales of cider (both specially labeled Press On bottles and in-house pints) were collected and will be donated to the St. Charles Foundation for their Cancer Survivorship Programs, which provide a number of free services for cancer patients and survivors throughout Central Oregon.

Press On was organized in cooperation with PT Pub Night and Atlas Cider Company, which provided the venue, organizational support, and which donated $2,242 from the day’s cider sales.

“Atlas Cider Company was just amazing the work with,” said Tannus Quatre, PT, MBA, founder of PT Pub Night and CEO of Vantage Clinical Solutions. “They went above and beyond to support both the event and the cause of cancer survivorship, and there’s already been talk of perhaps joining forces to make this an annual event.”

Press On: Moving Lives Through Cancer is Central Oregon’s contribution to PT Untapped, a national event by PT Pub Night challenging physical therapists across the country (and beyond) to give back to their communities during the weekend of Friday-Saturday, Oct. 9-11.

Press On was made possible thanks to the generosity of a number of local sponsors and contributors, including Atlas Cider Company, Bend Memorial Clinic, Therapeutic Associates, Vantage Clinical Solutions, Oregon Physical Therapists in Independent Practice, Alpine Physical Therapy, High Lakes Health Care, Central Oregon Radiation Oncology Associates, Apex Physical Therapy, Step & Spine Physical Therapy, Focus Physical Therapy, The Bulletin, Cascade Business News, Combined Communications, Cascade Cancer Care, ImpediMed, Katie Mital Personal Fitness, Press Pros Printing Company, BuildPT, Sonic Solutions, Sunnyside Sports and Oregon Feed and Farm Supply.