The traditional 5K run/walk that the AACR Foundation holds during the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting has transformed into the AACR Annual Meeting 2021 Wellness Challenge.

The Wellness Challenge will take place during the first week of the AACR Annual Meeting 2021, starting at 7 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 10, and ending Tuesday, April 13, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Visit the Wellness Challenge web page for the latest information and to register.

Participants will connect their own activity trackers to the special AACR Challenge Mobile App to compete with their peers and win prizes. Points will be awarded for a variety of physical interactive activates. Teams and individuals will be able to follow their progress throughout the Challenge on the app’s leaderboard. Mitch Stoller, chief philanthropic officer and vice president of development of the AACR, said that the move to a virtual Annual Meeting forced a hiatus of the 5K event, but the Foundation wanted to continue to have something special for attendees that involved the mind, body, and soul. The Wellness Challenge, presented by AstraZeneca, helps fill that need.

“The idea is that when there’s a break, participants will have the opportunity to get some physical activity,” Stoller said. “In the virtual environment, people need a break, and we want to encourage people to take those breaks.”

Because of the virtual format, several popular AACR Foundation events that allow attendees to engage with the Foundation will not take place. But Stoller said that technology has played an important role during the past year in helping the AACR and its Foundation continue to support the groundbreaking work of the AACR and its more than 48,000 members on the front lines of the global effort to eradicate cancer.

“Clearly, nothing replaces face-to-face meetings, but we really have transitioned well to communicating with all the different constituents who support the AACR and the Foundation,” Stoller said. “I find that connectivity has increased, and it will be interesting to see how this experience will reinforce our work when we go back to seeing people in person. We’re excited to get back to that.”

Find out how to get involved with the AACR Foundation and learn more about the many ways to donate, including monthly and planned giving, at the AACR Foundation website.