Wearing her signature teal, Ovarian Cancer Circle founder Paulinda Schimmel rallied friends at the Ebell of Los Angeles today for her annual 5K run to raise funds for ovarian cancer research. Like it was last year, this year’s event is virtual with supporters running (or walking) around the world.
“Last Spring The Circle was preparing for our 9th annual Spring event when the pandemic hit,” Schimmel, told the Buzz. “After much brainstorming The Circle’s volunteer team decided to pivot creating our first virtual event, Teal There’s A Cure Virtual 5K.  Being that it was virtual we were able receive national and international participation with over 200 runners, walkers & donors. That event raised $30,000. Since it was so successful we decided to do it once again this year. And now that life is resuming to somewhat normalcy, an added exciting feature is the teams are  physically participating together.”
The ever-positive Schimmel, who lost her daughter at the age of 20 to ovarian cancer, has won the hearts of Ebell members with her inspiring work with the Ovarian Cancer Circle, a non-profit dedicated and committed to educating women about the signs and symptoms of this disease and how to be proactive. Because ovarian cancer is difficult to detect in the early stages, almost 80% of women are diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease, when the prognosis is poor. Â Schimmel said she honestly believed that if she had known more about the disease she could have saved her daughter, Robin Babbini, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 16.
Schimmel is a tireless advocate for raising awareness and was recognized last year by Councilmember Paul Koretz. Los Angeles City Hall was also illuminated last year in teal colored lights, the nationally recognized color of Ovarian Cancer Awareness.
The Ovarian Cancer Circle’s 5K run is one of two fundraisers the small group organizes each year. Funds raised support the work of Dr. Sanaz Memarzadeh, M.D. Ph.D., a gynecologic cancer surgeon and a clinician-scientist at UCLA who studies two epithelial gynecologic tumors, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.
