New RUNDenver Series Betters Prostate Cancer Awareness

Starting this December, hundreds of Coloradans will join a national effort in the fight against prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) has partnered with Milwaukee, WI-based Assurant Health, a national provider of individual medical, small group and specialty health insurance, to provide Denver’s runners and walkers with an opportunity to raise prostate cancer awareness by participating in the Assurant Health RunDenver Series of foot races.

On Saturday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m., at Denver’s City Park, the Rudolph Ramble will kick off the Assurant Health RunDenver Series.The Assurant Health RunDenver Series, which includes four races over the next three months, marks the beginning of the 2009 PACE Race Series, a national 5K run/walk series that aims to increase awareness of prostate cancer and to educate men and their families on the importance of early detection. The Assurant Health RunDenver Series includes:

• Rudolph Ramble, Dec. 20, 2008 – Denver’s City Park
• Super Bowl, Feb. 1, 2009 – Denver’s Washington Park
• Valentine’s Day, Feb. 15, 2009 – Denver’s Washington Park
• That Dam Run, March 1, 2009 – Cherry Creek Dam

“Early detection saves lives. I have had the opportunity to meet many prostate cancer survivors through the PACE Race Series, and the majority of them agree that early detection saved their lives,” said Laura Nicholas, National PACE Race Director. “The PACE Race Series provides the community with educational information on prostate cancer and the means to lead a healthier life style.”

The Assurant Health RunDenver Series is an opportunity for the whole family to join the fight against prostate cancer, with a 5K run/walk and a half-mile kid’s race. Additionally, as part of its efforts to raise greater prostate cancer awareness in Denver, the PCEC will provide information on prostate cancer at the races.

“Raising awareness about prostate cancer is extremely important to us, as the disease currently affects more than two million American men,” said Wendy Poage, President, Prostate Cancer Education Council.“With races throughout the country, we have a real opportunity to touch men in all walks of life and educate them, and their families, about this devastating disease.”

“We are proud to team up with the Prostate Cancer Education Council to help raise awareness of this disease, inform men that prostate cancer is often treatable when caught early and provide support for the thousands of them who are battling it,” said Steve Dodder, Regional Sales Director, Assurant Health.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men. With a one in six lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer, estimates for 2008 indicate that more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed in the United States, and nearly 28,700 will die from the disease. The second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer, prostate cancer is often treatable if detected early.

U.S. marathon legend Bill Rodgers, the national spokesperson for the PACE Race Series and a prostate cancer survivor, cannot stress the importance of screenings enough. “It is my hope that all men at risk for prostate cancer are screened for this deadly disease.It’s the best way to detect prostate cancer in its early stages because there are no early warning signs or symptoms,” he said. “Even though I began running again only four months after my tumor was removed, I continue to receive regular screenings and advise other men to do the same.”

The PACE Race Series – sponsored by sanofi-aventis to benefit the PCEC – was launched in 2002 to increase national awareness of prostate cancer. To learn more about prostate cancer, the PACE Race Series or PCEC, please visit www.prostateconditions.org or for more information on the Assurant Health RunDenver Series, please visit www.ahrundenver.com.

About the PACE Race Series

Men, women, families, friends and neighbors – at all fitness levels – are invited to participate in the PACE Race Series. This 5K run/walk series was launched in 2002 by the PCEC to increase awareness of prostate cancer and to educate men and their families on the importance of early detection. With events across the country, the PACE Race Series has the ability to touch men and women of all walks of life. For more information, please visit www.pacerace.org.

About the Prostate Cancer Education Council

A national organization committed to men’s health, the Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) is dedicated to saving lives through awareness and the education of men, the women in their lives, as well as the medical community about prostate cancer prevalence, the importance of early detection, and available treatment options, as well as other men’s health issues. The Council - comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists and prostate cancer advocates - aims to conduct nation wide screenings for men and perform research that will aid in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer. More information is available at www.prostateconditions.org.

About Assurant Health

Assurant Health has been in business since 1892 and is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by Time Insurance Company, John Alden Life Insurance Company and Union Security Insurance Company.Together, these three underwriting companies provide health insurance coverage for almost one million people nationwide.

Each underwriting company is financially responsible for its own insurance products. Primary products include individual medical, small group, short-term and student health insurance products, as well as non-insurance products and consumer-choice products such as Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements. With almost 3,000 employees, Assurant Health is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with operations offices in Minnesota, Idaho and Florida, as well as sales offices across the country. The Assurant Health Web site is www.assuranthealth.com.

Assurant Health is part of Assurant, a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and selected international markets. Its four key businesses – Assurant Employee Benefits, Assurant Health, Assurant Solutions and Assurant Specialty Property – have partnered with clients who are leaders in their industries and have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments worldwide.

Assurant, a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. Assurant has more than $26 billion in assets and $8 billion in annual revenue. Assurant has approximately 14,000 employees worldwide and is headquartered in New York's financial district. The Assurant Web site is www.assurant.com.