Hyde Park Blast Launches Event Ambassador Program
Jeff Eggleston and Amy Matalka named ambassadors for 8th Annual Blast
(Cincinnati, OH) May 20, 2009 – The 8th Annual Hyde Park Blast will be held this year on June 27, 2009, with a full day of fun and exercise opportunities for adults, kids and cycling enthusiasts followed by the Blast Block Party with the Rusty Griswolds, one of Cincinnati's most popular bands.
Jeff Eggleston, a Mt. Lookout resident and a vice president at Fifth Third bank, and Amy Matalka, a resident of Middletown and office administrator at Indiana Wesleyan University in West Chester, will be the 2009 Hyde Park Blast ambassadors. Both are young cancer survivors.
The Hyde Park Blast was co-founded by Cheryl Koopman and Chad Sims, both Hyde Park residents, as a way for the community to have fun, be active and raise money for a good cause – the fight against cancer. Since 2001, more than $200,000 has been donated to CancerFree Kids, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Wellness Community in addition to Give Back Cincinnati.
"We're launching the event ambassador program to raise awareness among the Blast participants throughout the day that the Hyde Park Blast is a fundraiser for cancer organizations," said Cheryl Koopman, co-founder of the Blast. "Jeff and Amy were both diagnosed with cancer in their 30s and were able to recover quickly, in part because of their healthy lifestyles and the support they received."
Jeff Eggleston was diagnosed with liposarcoma in January 2008. That same month doctors removed a 24-lb tumor from his abdomen. "So many more things could have gone wrong during and after my surgery and I know that my commitment to a healthy lifestyle helped me get through it all," said Eggleston. "I also know that there is a real chance of my cancer returning so I make every effort to be as active and healthy as possible." Jeff ran the 2009 Flying Pig half marathon and beat his time for the race in 2007.
Amy Matalka was diagnosed with Stage III Primary Peritoneal/Ovarian cancer in 2005 at the age of 30 just after getting married. She was referred by the oncology office at St. Elizabeth Medical Center to the Wellness Community, a beneficiary of the Hyde Park Blast since 2001. "I joined a weekly support group, and even though I was the youngest person in the room, it really helped to talk to other people with cancer every week," said Matalka. "The Wellness Community provided me a safe place to say whatever I was feeling and thinking, making me feel so welcomed, at ease and really understood."
"The Hyde Park Blast is a great event that shows people the benefits of being healthy, and that it can be fun too!" said Eggleston. Jeff is spearheading a new program for the Blast that will include health and fitness tips through the Hyde Park Blast website, Facebook and Twitter in conjunction with Trey Morgan, MS, ATC and ATEP Program Coordinator at Northern Kentucky University. The 4-mile run/walk course will feature statistics and information about how leading a healthy lifestyle can help prevent cancer.
A portion of the proceeds raised in the 2009 Hyde Park Blast will be donated to the Shemenski Foundation on behalf of Jeff Eggleston. The Shemenski Foundation raises money for cancer nonprofits and was named after John Shemenski, a close friend who died this past year after battling brain cancer.
The Wellness Community will receive proceeds this year in Amy Matalka's name. "Cancer has given me another reason to live and a positive outlook on life. Like a 'second' chance! What seemed like a tragedy when it all began has become a life-changing event that I can share with and help others," said Matalka. "I thank the Wellness Community for their love, support and hope! I have been truly blessed by this special gift."
Anyone interested in running or walking training for the four-mile race should contact Joe Brinkman at the Running Spot in O'Bryonville for training group information (321-3006).
Please register for the day's activities or to volunteer at http://www.hpblast.com or check the website for more information and details about the Hyde Park Blast.
About the Shemenski Foundation
The mission of the Shemenski Foundation is to honor the life of John Shemenski by raising awareness, providing financial support, and spreading the hope, courage and determination needed to beat cancer. More information is available at www.shemenskifoundation.org or on the Foundation’s Facebook page.