Gary Lezak to receive cancer survivorship award

Wow, has it been 10 years since Gary Lezak was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer? Yep, and the KSHB weathercaster is being honored in June with the Richard Bloch Cancer Survivorship Award on Cancer Survivors' Day in June.

GARY LEZAK TO RECEIVE CANCER SURVIVORSHIP AWARD

Annette Bloch, president and co-founder of the R. A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, announced today that Gary Lezak will receive the 2009 Richard A. Bloch Cancer Survivorship Award. He will be honored on Sunday, June 7, 2009, at the 24th annual Kansas City Celebration of Life Rally on National Cancer Survivors Day.

Lezak, NBC Action News chief meteorologist, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of sarcoma in 1999. He remained in the public eye through his cancer treatments and has gone on to be a very visible example of cancer survivorship.

"Gary's courage in battling this rare cancer is more than matched by the enthusiasm he brings to helping cancer patients and support organizations in our community," said Mrs. Bloch. "Whether he's giving a weather forecast, emceeing a cancer organization's event or talking with schoolchildren during classroom visits, Gary exudes the spirit of hope that is so important in battling cancer."

Gary has been a part of National Cancer Survivors Day celebrations in Kansas City since 2005, the fifth anniversary of completing chemotherapy treatments. Back in 2002, he became master of ceremonies for Shave to Save, a fund-raising event for the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge program in which men and women shave their heads in a cancer patient's honor or memory. Also since 2002 he has shared emcee duties with his dog Stormy at Cancer Action's annual awards luncheon, which honors volunteers for their thousands of hours of service to cancer patients.

The R.A. Bloch Cancer Survivorship Award was established in 2006 to honor people who have not just survived cancer, but made a difference in the lives of other people dealing with it. Previous winners include KMBC-TV news anchor Larry Moore; Virginia and James Stowers, founders of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research; and Barbara Unell, founder of Back in the Swing Retail Therapy.

Richard A. Bloch, the "R" in H&R Block, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in 1978 and given three months to live. He was declared cancer-free in 1980 after two years of aggressive treatment, and lived 24 more years before dying of heart failure in July 2004. He and Annette established the foundation that bears their names to help others diagnosed with cancer. All of the foundation's programs are free, including a toll-free national hotline, peer-to-peer counseling by cancer survivors, survivorship books and cancer survivor parks in 24 communities in the United States and Canada.