ASHLAND — Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital (OLBH) and King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC), in conjunction with the Colon Cancer Prevention Project, will host a colon cancer awareness day Friday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ashland Town Center.

The event will feature the “Incredible Colon”—an inflatable, 20 foot by 10 foot colon simulation that visitors can walk through. Educational information about colon cancer screening, prevention and early detection will be available as well as health screenings provided by both hospitals.

One in 10 people diagnosed with colon cancer are under the age of 50 and the number is rising. Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States among cancers that affect both men and women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if everyone were screened at age 50. When colon cancer is found early and treated, the five-year relative survival rate is 90 percent.

For more information concerning OLBH or Bon Secours Mercy Health visit BonSecours.com. For more information concerning KDMC, visit kdmc.com.