"Survivor Stony Brook" Comes to sbu cancer center:  Patients, docs, families come together to celebrate surviving cancer

"Practicing Without a License," A Physician Band, Performs Live at Annual Event

STONY BROOK, NY, April 30, 2008 - On Sunday, June 1, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Stony Brook University Medical Center will

Robert I. Parker, M.D., Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Stony Brook University Medical Center, braced for a big splash at the 2007 National Cancer Survivors Day during the "Dunk-a-Doc" game.

host its fourth annual National Cancer Survivors Day® at the Stony Brook University Cancer Center and Center for Outpatient Services. Called "Survivor Stony Brook," the event uses the popular "Survivor" television show theme to bring hundreds of cancer survivors together to celebrate with their physicians, SBUMC staff, and their families. Those attending celebrate survivorship not from the difficulties of living on a tropical island, but from facing and beating deadly forms of cancer.

For the first time in its four-year history, the annual event will be held on the grounds of the Cancer Center and Center for Outpatient Services, located at 3 Edmund Pelligrino Drive. Stony Brook University Medical Center opened this building for outpatient care in 2007. This year's event also features live music from "Practicing Without a License," an instrumental band made of players who have a day job - they are all practicing physicians at SBUMC. Also new for children is a disc jockey-led scavenger hunt.

To mirror the Survivor show, the celebration area at the Center will feature brightly colored decorations such as neon green and orange, as will some decked out survivors. Games and activities previously popular with attendees, such as face painting, and "Dunk-a-Doc," will continue throughout the event. The "Parade of Survivors" will also bring cancer survivors, from children to seniors, together in a special way. Snacks and treats, such as fruit, ice cream, sno-cones and cotton candy, will also be available.

"Our Cancer Survivors Day event has grown each year, and the many faces and ages of our patients illustrate the hope of survivorship and the fact that more people continue to survive many forms of cancer," says Ted Gabig, M.D., Interim Director,

Breast cancer survivors took time to enjoy National Cancer Survivors Day in 2007 with doctors and staff of Stony Brook University Medical Center.

Stony Brook University Cancer Center.

According to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, a "survivor" is anyone living with a history of cancer - from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life. The Foundation reports that nearly 11 million Americans are cancer survivors. National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual celebration in hundreds of communities worldwide. The non-profit National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation (http://www.ncsdf.org/) supports hundreds of hospitals and support groups nationwide. National Cancer Survivors Day is one of the world's largest cancer survivor events.

For more information about participating or volunteering for "Survivor Stony Brook," please call Health Connect at 631-444-4000. 

In case of inclement weather, please call 631-638-0698.

Captions: (from 2007 National Cancer Survivors Day at Stony Brook University Medical Center)