One day each year, Cardinal fans can shed their red for a worthy cause.

On Friday, March 1, the Kentucky Cancer Program at the University of Louisville will again sponsor Dress In Blue Day for colon cancer screening awareness.

This year's celebration, dubbed "Blue of L Day," will feature UofL basketball legend Darrell Griffith along with Madeline Abramson, honorary chair of Dress in Blue Day for Kentucky and wife of Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson. The event will be held at the Kentucky Science Center, 727 W. Main St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A highlight of the day's activities will be Abramson and Griffith's appearance from noon to 1 p.m. They will meet participants and discuss the importance of colon cancer screening.

Participants also will see the "Incredible Colon," a 20-foot long, 10-foot tall, walk-through replica of the human colon that provides images to educate the public about colorectal cancer. The first 200 participants wearing blue who tour the Incredible Colon between noon and 1 p.m. will receive free Dress in Blue t-shirts.

Also on display at the Kentucky Science Center is the Body Worlds Vital exhibit that includes whole-body plastinates, a large arrangement of individual organs, organ and arterial configurations and translucent slices that give a complete picture of how the human body works. The exhibit shows how to best fight, manage and prevent life-threatening diseases – such as cancer, diabetes, and heart ailments – through healthy choices and life style changes.

Early diagnosis and treatment is the goal of Dress in Blue Day, said Dr. Donald Miller, director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at UofL. "Colon cancer screening can save lives. Most colon cancers can be prevented or cured if detected early," he said.

"I've been screened for colon cancer twice," UofL President James R. Ramsey said, "and I join Dr. Miller in encouraging everyone age 50 and over to schedule a screening appointment – and to go blue for colon cancer on March 1."

The Kentucky Capitol Dome in Frankfort will be lit in blue for colon cancer awareness beginning March 1 through March 10, also. The Kentucky Cancer Program will sponsor a colon cancer display in the Capital Annex Hall March 4-8 for legislators and visitors to learn about the importance of colon cancer screening.

Admission to the event varies with several options for the Body Worlds Vital exhibition available; for details, visit the Kentucky Science Center web site at kysciencecenter.org. The first 100 UofL employees attending the event can receive a $5 discount with their UofL ID.