A Special Virtual Run/Walk to Benefit ACG Summer Scholars and Celebrate Diversity!
A tradition continues! Be part of the 2024 Annual Diversity in GI Virtual 5K! This virtual event invites ACG members to get outside, run or walk, log their time on a special website, and pose for selfies in race tees, medals, and bibs for social media using #DiversityinGI to celebrate diversity, inclusion, and community in GI and medicine in the weeks leading up to and during the ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting. This year there will be three early morning “fun runs” in Philadelphia, see below for all the details.
About the Virtual Race: There is a small registration fee of $39 but, thanks to generous sponsorships from Ironwood and Takeda, proceeds from the event will benefit the ACG Summer Scholars mentorship program for medical students and residents from groups underrepresented in medicine. ACG is working with a virtual race company (goneforarun.com) and race registration includes an elegant medal for all participants. We hope everyone will wear this excellent swag with great pride!
How It Works
Registrants run or walk on their own, log their activity online, take photos in race swag and celebrate via social media using #DiversityinGI in the weeks leading up to and during the ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting.
Note on Logistics: ACG is working with a virtual race company, goneforarun.com, and once you register for the race and pick your tee shirt size, goneforarun.com will ship the tee and medal by U.S. Mail, and you can download and print the race bib.
Benefitting the ACG’s Summer Scholars
For 2024, the College is so grateful that Ironwood returns as a sponsor for the fifth year! All proceeds will benefit the ACG Summer Scholars mentorship program for medical students and residents from groups underrepresented in medicine. Since 2020, this event raised over $100,000 thanks to generous sponsorships and race registrations. Thank you to our current and former sponsors!
2024 Race Sponsor
The College is deeply grateful to our Race Sponsor Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Every year since this event was established in 2020, Ironwood has consistently championed diversity in GI with support for the virtual 5K and engagement by its staff. Ironwood is a respected partner in advancing clinical excellence and patient care. Thank you!
Calling All Early Birds! Fun Runs at ACG 2024 in Philadelphia
There will be four #DiversityinGI “fun runs” in Philadelphia during ACG 2024!
- Saturday, October 26 at 6:45 am ET
- Sunday, October 27 at 6:45 am ET
- Monday, October 28 at 6:45 am ET
- Tuesday, October 29 at 6:45 am ET
Meetup Spot: The ACG #DiversityinGI Fun Run Meetup spot at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is TBD.
Race Chairs
Sophie M. Balzora, MD, FACG, Chair, ACG Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee; NYU Langone Health
Darrell M. Gray, II, MD, MPH, FACG, President & CEO of Wellpoint Maryland (a wholly owned subsidiary of Elevance Health)
Past Fun Run Team Leaders 2023 Vancouver
Matthew B. McNeill, MD, NYU Langone Health
Baharak Moshiree, MD, MSc, FACG, Atrium Health, UNC Charlotte
Selection of Social Media & Photos Celebrating Diversity
Over the years, the enthusiasm and commitment of so many ACG members for the #DiversityinGI virtual 5K has been inspiring. The race is a compelling way to rally ACG’s members, their families, their staffs, and GI fellows-in-training for healthy activity, community building, and positive social media engagement.
A Selection of 2020 Social Media Posts Celebrate Diversity
The response to the race in 2020 was stunning and inspiring, and, during the challenges of COVID-19, it was such a ray of hope to bring the GI community together in such a meaningful way. If you want to go down memory lane from 2020, here are some summary slides. Thank you Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Braintree/Sebela Pharmaceuticals for sponsorship!
About the #DiversityinGI Social Media Campaign
Diversity and inclusion in gastroenterology and medicine are the focus of ACG’s social media campaign launched in April 2019 by the ACG Public Relations Committee in collaboration with the ACG Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion under the leadership of Sophie M. Balzora, MD, FACG and Darrell M. Gray, II, MD, MPH, FACG, who are the respective committee chairs.
The campaign aims to increase visibility of and promote diversity and inclusion within gastroenterology through the #DiversityinGI hashtag. The primary goals of the campaign are to motivate students and postgraduate trainees who aspire to a career in the GI field and enrich the pipeline of trainees and providers from underrepresented populations.
Upon its launch, the campaign generated an immediate wave of photos and personal reflections by U.S. gastroenterologists and colleagues around the world, as well as coverage by Healio Gastroenterology and Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News.
Beginning in 2019, the College partners with pediatric colleagues from NASPGHAN to engage new fellows and celebrate the diversity of incoming trainees in gastroenterology by reaching out to GI program directors and engaging via social media at the start of the academic year on July 1st.
Mentions of the #DiversityinGI campaign have been included in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology and the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, as well as a recent article in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, “Improving Diversity and Inclusion in GI,” co-authored by Dr. Balzora, Dr. Gray, and Dr. Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa.
- READ: The American Journal of Gastroenterology, “Improving Diversity and Inclusion in GI” bit.ly/AJG-Diversity-Inclusion
- To Get Involved in the #DiversityinGI Social Media Campaign: Download Social Media banners for your use
- Read more about the campaign HERE.
