Team Dancing Bear is named in honor of our own Melanoma warrior and survior Dan.  Dan earned the nickname Dancing Bear as a heavy weight wrestler in highschool while taking down and pinning opponents and he took on stage 3 melanoma with the same tenacity.  After a 2.5 year battle, including a recurrence and a broken shoulder we won't discuss, Dan has been in remission for 5 years.  We know we get to have many more years with Dan/dad/papa because of the amazing treatments available today because of the research that has and continues to be done.  

Did you know the incidence of melanoma in Northeast Ohio is 14% higher than the national average, and the mortality rate is nearly 10% higher. While we don’t know exactly why, we do know that these statistics are not abstract; they reflect real families and genuine communities that are being affected by a preventable disease.​

Melanoma is the deadliest and fastest growing form of skin cancer and we all want a cure to be found soon. Miles for Melanoma is the way people come together to take action and help support this fight and the mission of the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Every step matters and every step counts. Significant advancement has been made in the past few years in improved detection, new drug treatments and better survival rates. This progress has been built on the breakthroughs made fighting other types of cancers, as well as the existing foundation of melanoma research.

There is more to be done and a long way to go, but the finish line is in sight. The energy, enthusiasm and encouragement from patients, survivors, families, friends, caregivers, and the medical community impacts many lives and many future.

Donate to or join team Dancing Bear today!