Family, friends and loved ones, both veteran runners and newcomers alike, gathered at Marine Park on Saturday morning, September 13th, for the 7th Annual Esophageal Cancer (EC) Awareness 5K Run/Walk.
Since its inception in 2019, Dara Mormile, leader of the Brooklyn Chapter for the Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation (SECRF), has organized the 5K Run/Walk, not only to honor her late father, Joseph Mormile, who passed from EC in 2010, but also to raise awareness and funds for research for treatment and a cure.
“It feels surreal, but I’m glad that we get more and more families every year, and it feels great that people see the value in coming out,” Mormile said. “A lot of people message me and look forward to coming and not just spending the day at Marine Park, but also connecting and comforting each other. It feels really heartfelt, and I look forward to it every year.”
According to the American Cancer Society, EC begins when cells in the lining of the esophagus start to grow out of control. There are two types of EC: Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and Adenocarcinoma. The former is more commonly diagnosed worldwide, and the latter is more commonly found in the U.S. SCC develops in the lining of the esophagus, whereas Adenocarcinoma affects the glandular cells.
The esophagus is a long, hollow tube that runs from the throat to the stomach and helps move food from the back of the throat to the stomach for digestion. EC is most commonly found in men, and its risk factors include tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption. EC’s symptoms may include difficulty swallowing, chest pain, pressure or burning, coughing or hoarseness, and indigestion or heartburn, as well as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
It’s estimated that in 2025, there will be approximately 22,070 new cases of EC diagnosed in the U.S. with about 16,250 deaths following.
Unfortunately, there are no routine or accepted screenings to detect EC early on; therefore, early testing is crucial, as the relative five-year survival rate is about 21.9%.
Since 2011, the SECRF has both raised awareness and emphasized the importance of early detection across the U.S. and internationally. In previous years, it also awarded research funding, a $71,000 grant, to Dr. Masood Shammas and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the project titled: “Targeting a kinase and a nuclease (TTK/APEXI) pair to overcome chemoresistance and immune dysregulation in esophageal adenocarcinoma.”
Dr. Shammas’s research seeks to “modulate TTK/APE both alone and in combination with EAC cell lines and normal cell types and to investigate impact on various cellular and molecular characteristics.”
The course was Marine Park’s oval; to complete the 5K, walkers/runners had to run or walk three and a half loops.
The men’s winner was John DiVanna, crossing the finish line at 21:08:40, and the women’s winner was Kiera Haggerty at 24:29:60. They each won a $50 gift card from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Second-place winners were Tomer Shoham (21:34.70) and Iho Taguchi (28.06.90), respectively; each won a custom-made cheese board, donated by Eclectic Cheese Pairings.
“My dad’s my biggest inspiration, and he really motivated me today,” DiVanna said. “I felt him today give me the strength to push myself to the limit and so happy that everyone came out to honor him.”
Elected officials also attended, including State Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblywoman Jaime Williams. Both recognized Mormile’s efforts and promised to continue being a pillar of support. Both spoke of lobbying for mandated screenings, more treatment and increased awareness of EC.
Members of families who have lost loved ones to EC spoke and mourned their loss. David Flores and Priscilla Moronta spoke of their late brother, Michael Flores, who attended the event in 2023. However, tragically Flores passed days before the event in 2024.
“It’s really important to do this. Michael lived in Brooklyn, and we live in Connecticut but it’s important for us to be down here to just keep his memory alive and to spread awareness,” Moronta said.
She stated that although the recommended age for testing is 50, it might be too late. At present, esophageal cancer is growing by 732% for 40-year-olds, and endoscopy is still not recommended at that age. If people have any symptoms like indigestion or heartburn, they should ask for an endoscopy.
“Best case scenario, there’s nothing there,” Moronta continued. “Worst case scenario, they catch something early, and your family doesn’t have to just live with your memory. They can keep living with you. So that’s what we’re looking for the future — to keep raising awareness.”
Also in attendance was Pablo Lopez, who was diagnosed with stage three esophageal cancer in October 2024. He underwent chemo, got an esophagectomy in February and is still in treatment for immunotherapy, but as of two weeks ago, he got his first scan and is cancer-free.
“It’s so beautiful to know that there’s a community around this and there’s support,” Lopez said. “I’m happy and now that I’m back to living my life, I want to dedicate my life to spreading awareness to supporting others going through the battle, and I’m just so grateful to have found this community.”
The campaign has raised $5,000 toward their goal for the year. The 5K itself raised $422 through raffles and donations, all of which will go to funding a noninvasive tool to detect EC in its early stages. Donations are being accepted until October if anyone wants to contribute.
“People are coming for their loved ones and it’s impactful and I hope they bring more people, but I’m honored to be that link between them and their healing process,” Mormile said.
Visit Salgi.org and salgi.org/research/ to learn more about the Salgi Foundation. Visit Mormile’s EC Awareness YouTube survivor series channel, @dararose_ecawareness, or email her at DaraMormile@hotmail.com.
