Gordon Klatt

Education

Doctor Klatt completed his internship at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, his residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, and his fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

Career

He had special expertise in two areas, including colorectal cancer and colorectal surgery. After serving three years as an United States Army surgeon, Doctor Klatt returned to school and became a colorectal specialist. He received his medical degree in 1968 from the University of Minnesota Medical School.

He is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.

Relay Foreign In the mid-1980s, Doctor Klatt expressed interest in helping raise funds for his local American Cancer Society. He decided he would raise money by doing something he enjoyed—running marathons.

In May 1985, Doctor Klatt circled the track for a total of more than 83 miles at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for 24 hours. Friends and family donated $25 to run or walk certain lengths with him.

That year, he raised $27,000.

While he ran, nearly 300 friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the track. While he was running, Doctor Klatt began making plans on how the event could be even bigger in future years. Throughout the next year, he, along with an event committee, developed plans for the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.

In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event and raised $33,000.

Since then, Doctor Klatt’s idea has turned into more than 5,200 events across the United States that have raised nearly $5 billion. The American Cancer Society also licenses twenty non-governmental cancer organizations in other countries to hold events.

In March 2012, Doctor Klatt was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and he participated that year in for the first time as a cancer survivor. When he was diagnosed, he received a number of supportive letters and e-mails from around the world, and he spoke during the opening ceremonies at the of Tacoma, Washington.

He died August 3, 2014, at the age of 71 from heart failure after battling stomach cancer.

Achievements

• Doctor Klatt has been recognized by a number of organizations including the Tacoma Rotary Club Number. 8 with their Community Service Award and Saint Thomas University, his alma mater, with the Humanitarian Award. His high school alma mater, Stillwater Area High School in Stillwater, Minnesota, recognized him in 1995 with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Doctor Klatt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2008, he was recognized with a Community Impact Award from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. He has also been honored with Patients’ Choice Awards from PatientsChoice.org in 2009, 2012 and 2013. In 2013, Doctor Klatt and other volunteers in Tacoma were recognized in the Tacoma Hometown Heroes program with the Community Partnership Award for their 27 years of dedication to the movement.