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A record-breaking 2633 people walked as part of Team UMA in the event to support and raise funds to further cancer research

More than 2,600 employees, students, alumni and partners from across the country joined Team UMA to create the largest Making Strides team of any organization nationwide.

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) continued its record-breaking team numbers as they virtually gathered for the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) 2020 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. More than 2,600 employees, students, alumni and partners from across the country joined Team UMA to create the largest Making Strides team of any organization nationwide, all walking in their respective places on October 17, 2020, to help raise awareness and financial support for the healthcare cause.

Last year, with 1,154 walkers, UMA had the largest Making Strides team from a single organization in the nation. Rather than feeling limited by 2020’s unique circumstances that required the event to be virtual, UMA team members embraced their ability to engage the institution’s nationwide community and make an even bigger impact for this important cause. In fact, UMA shattered their 2020 goal to double last year’s impact and built a record-breaking team of 2,633 walkers, again earning the honor of largest team in the nation. Through these efforts, UMA helped to raise more than $50,000 for ACS and Making Strides.

In addition to this year’s team effort, UMA President Thomas Rametta also participated in the Real Men Wear Pink (RMWP) Campaign. Typically, RMWP participants are charged with raising at least $2,500, but Rametta committed to $25,000 and has so far raised more than $33,000 for the cause, making him the fifth-ranked RMWP candidate in the country.

“Within our UMA community alone, so many people have faced a cancer diagnosis themselves or had a loved one impacted by cancer, and we know that’s the case for so many others too,” said Beth Garland, UMA’s senior vice president of human resources and the chair of this year’s Making Strides event in Tampa. “At UMA, we participate in Making Strides to show our support for those team members and to, hopefully, inspire other organizations and individuals to use their collective strength for the good of this cause as well. The fight against cancer is not an easy one, but by coming together as an organization and a community, we can make a difference.”

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In addition to funding cancer research, ACS helps patients and their families in tangible ways such as transporting patients to treatments and surgeries, helping patients and survivors with self-care as they endure the effects of treatment, and coming to a caregiver’s or patient’s aid when they have questions or concerns at any hour. These services have become even more important as healthcare resources and staff have felt additional burdens during the COVID-19