Take Steps to Save Lives at our 5K Run/Walk on January 19th, 2019 in San Diego's Liberty Station NTC Park.

Don't miss ECAN's First San Diego 5K featuring a live DJ, pre-race warm-up & stretch, a professional announcer, one-of-a-kind ECAN event gear.

To make sure everyone gets the most out of their 5K experience, ECAN has adapted the popular Couch to 5K training program. We'll be with you every step of the way as you prepare for the event. Whether it's your first 5K or you haven't run in a while - we have a plan and a community to support you as you get ready!

We promise an amazing time with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and other charitable individuals like yourself who are willing to take STEPS to SAVE LIVES!

View the Course Map Here

Meet our San Diego Steps to Save Lives 2020 Chairperson:

Christie Delan

My dad, Daihachi Yamazaki, was a healer. He came from a large family in Tokyo, Japan where he was a practicing acupuncturist. He fulfilled his lifelong dream of moving to America – settling in Sacramento, California where he met my mom. Together they opened an acupuncture practice in January 1980. Not only did he relieve countless ailments for thousands of patients over 36 years, but he especially took wonderful care of our family of 5 - working hard so we could indulge in many activities and attend the most prestigious academic institutions. He loved whipping up delicious dinners for friends – frequently donning a classic chef’s hat and coat, shyly smiling and waiting for a laugh (or a groan) from one of us. He adored fishing. Some of his proudest moments are captured in the photos he would bribe us to take when he came home from a long day on the lake, river, or San Francisco bay – proudly holding up his jackpot-winning fish.

As a teenager, I was easily annoyed by my parents. My dad’s nuisance cough was no exception. This was often alleviated by the countless bottles of Pepcid that he stocked up on from Costco.

In October 2015, he experienced difficulty swallowing and his primary care physician ordered an upper endoscopy. He was diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus, and shortly after, told he had Esophageal Cancer. We were told the tumor was localized with a good prognosis for a response to chemotherapy and radiation and possibly surgery to remove his esophagus.

He bravely underwent chemo and radiation – still working mostly full time because he loved caring for and helping his patients so much. The tumor reduced some, but after radiation-induced pneumonitis and continued difficulty breathing, it was found that cancer had metastasized to his lungs and bones. Still not wanting to leave his patients or family stranded, he continued to work until his body could not take much more. He was freed from suffering on May 21, 2016, and left an immeasurable void in the hearts of the many whose lives he touched deeply.

Had we known that his chronic gastric acid reflux (GERD), nuisance cough and religious dosing of antacids were signs of something more severe, perhaps he would still be here – to fish on open waters and to meet his first granddaughter who is due to arrive in February 2020. Esophageal Cancer usually carries a grave prognosis by the time it is diagnosed – and heartburn has been linked as a culprit in many cases. I have made it one of my life’s missions to raise awareness about the link between heartburn and cancer. Please join us as we take Steps to Save Lives!

2020 San Diego Steps to Save Lives

2020 San Diego Steps to Save Lives

Volunteer to Support San Diego Steps to Save Lives

About Volunteer to Support San Diego Steps to Save Lives