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The successful 2003 tour finished with few kinks.
The successful 2003 tour finished with few kinks.

Colossal Colon Wriggles Across Nation

Somewhere, Other

In earnest support of preventive medicine, community awareness, and creative publicity gimmicks, we at RoadsideAmerica.com are following the progress of the Colossal Colon as it meanders around the US in 2003.

The 40-ft. long crawl-thru, diseased intestine delivers a powerful message of early colon cancer detection to the congealed masses. Sponsored by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, the Colon will visit at least twenty cities over the next 10 months. Read the Tourism News story. It visited North Carolina in February, then Washington DC in March, and will head to Miami next.

Colossal colon.

We've heard from Smilers planning trips to intercept the Colon, record a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity and learn how colorectal cancer can be prevented. We encourage you to send us a photo - we'll add the best to this page! Click on the map above to see when the Colon will be in your neighborhood.

MP3: Smiler Robbie Augspurger has composed a short musical tribute to the Colossal Colon: Healthy Colon Tissue (638k) 2003 by Robbie Augspurger

Colossal colon.

North Carolina, Feb. 2003

Heather Thompson, Colon Tour PR, reports: "We had a great turnout at the event, despite the struggle with getting out of DC to get to Chapel Hill. The road trip that should've taken 4 hours took 10 after digging the trailer out of 2+ feet of snow, and then a tire blow-out, but it was well worth it. We had a great reception from North Carolinians. Next stop -- Freedom Plaza in DC..."

Robot Greg (lately trapped in South Korea on a non-RA assignment) dispatched wife (and Smiler) Kelly to the Colon while it was in Chapel Hill. She reported it was outside in a tent in the bitter cold, but that didn't deter Kelly, her sister Ginger, and Ginger's daughter Danielle from exploring.... Thanks, Kelly!

Danielle made a discovery around an oft neglected corner of the colon -- the dreaded Internal Hemorrhoid. Hard to discern scale from the photo -- likely as big as a child's head -- but it's a simple reminder to get an ergonomic chair and walk around a bit more....

Internal Hemorrhoids.

Washington DC - March 2003

More than 2,700 people visited the Colon durings its stop at the nation's capital. A nationwide survey released in March by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation found that Americans are more aware of "healthy" vehicle maintenance than they are about maintaining good colorectal health. In the survey of 1,000 American adults over the age of 18, 83 percent of men and 64 percent of women knew they should change the oil their car every three months or 3,000 miles. However, when it came to the appropriate age to begin colorectal cancer screening, only 23 percent of men and 26 percent of women identified the correct age of 50 for an initial colorectal cancer screening.

April 2003: According to the Colossal Colon Tour web site: "Despite rain and clouds on opening day, the start of war in Iraq and the nearby war protests, the Tour drew more than 1,700 visitors of all ages to the exhibit, situated at Robert W. Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta."

March 2014: The Colon was reported at a Georgia chicken wing festival with reality TV star Honey Boo Boo.

January 2016: The Colon was at The Health Museum in Houston along with The Giant Beating Heart (which simulates a heart attack every 20 minutes) and The Giant Human Hamster Wheel.

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