WHO:             University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine students

                        Speakers: Thomas P. Sollecito, chair of the department of oral medicine and professor of oral medicine, Penn Dental Medicine, and Christian Patchell, professional cartoonist, senior lecturer at the University of the Arts and an oral-cancer survivor

WHAT:            Oral Cancer Awareness 5K Walk-Run and free oral-cancer screenings

WHEN:           Saturday, April 6, 7 a.m.-noon

WHERE:         Penn Dental Medicine, 40th and Locust streets on Penn’s campus

As part of National Oral Cancer Awareness Month, dental students from Penn and Temple University are partnering to present the Philadelphia Oral Cancer Walk & 5K Run.The Saturday April 6 event is an annual fundraiser for the Oral Cancer Foundation and a campaign to build awareness about the importance of early detection and screening to prevent oral cancer.

Online registration, which includes a free T-shirt, is available at http://donate.oralcancer.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=549.  All proceeds will go to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Onsite registration will begin at the race start line at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, 40th and Locust streets, starting at 7 a.m. with the race kicking off at 8. The 5K walk will begin at 10 o’clock with registration starting at 9. The 5K-course traverses campus looping through Penn Park.

Free oral-cancer screenings will be held from 8.am. until noon. Smoothies and other refreshments will be served at post-race activities which include music and face painting.