Sponsored by Iberdrola España, the 10th On the Move Against Cancer brings together more than 5,400 people in Murcia

This morning, the city of Murcia hosted yet another demonstration of charity with the 10th Murcia On the Move Against Cancer organised by the Spanish Cancer Association in Murcia and sponsored by Iberdrola España. More than 5,400 people took part in this sporting and charity, breaking the attendance record in all categories and consolidating this charity walk as one of the largest in the Region of Murcia.

The event was attended by various regional and local authorities, including Juan José Pedreño, Minister of Health for the Regional Government of Murcia, Pilar Torres, Councillor for Social Welfare, Family and Health of the Murcia City Council, Francisco Lucas Ayala, Government Representative in the Region of Murcia, Miguel Ángel Cerdán, Institutional Representative of Iberdrola España in the Region of Murcia, Eduardo González, President of the Spanish Cancer Association in the Region of Murcia, and Andrea Pérez, researcher benefiting from the grant. All of them were part of the great green tide of hope that swept through the streets of the Murcian capital, demonstrating the city's commitment to the fight against this disease.

The event began at 9:30 a.m. at the Iron Bridge, next to Ronda Garay, with the kid’s race, in which more than 100 children ran 400 metres and won a prize. The event then continued with different participation categories: 5 and 10 kilometre races, as well as the traditional 5 kilometre charity walk. From early in the morning, the community atmosphere was palpable, along with the excitement of thousands of people who joined together to support cancer research.

All proceeds will go entirely to Andrea Pérez’s research project. Andrea is a pre-doctoral researcher at the Catholic University of San Antonio in Murcia (UCAM), and her project focuses on evaluating the use of genetically modified bacteria as a potential treatment for cancer. This grant, awarded by the Spanish Cancer Association, is for €92,300 over three years.

The researcher explained that her project seeks to ‘turn common bacteria into microscopic Trojan horses that teach the immune system to detect and attack tumour cells’. The aim, according to the scientist, is to explore new immunotherapy strategies that can improve the body's response to cancer. ‘Every step we take today is also a step towards the future of science,’ she said.