Thousands Raised For Prostate Cancer Research, Awareness & Screenings
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
After Sunday's 5th annual Great Prostate Cancer Challenge, Andrea Fujii explains the $300,000 raised will now be going to help find a cure.
Cheering on runners and a cure for prostate cancer, more than 3,000 people attended the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge.
Emceed by WJZ's Marty Bass, it's an event that started in Baltimore in 2006 by Chesapeake Urology Associates and has now grown to 26 other cities across the country, raising more than $1 million in Baltimore alone.
"It's been remarkable," said Dr. Thomas Smyth, Chesapeake Urology. "We would have never believed when we started this five years ago that it would grow into the local and national event that it has."
It's estimated that 200,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year; 32,000 of them will die.
"We're way behind breast cancer, as far as money spent doing research," said Dr. Ronald Tutrone, Chesapeake Urology. "It's almost 10 times as much money doing breast cancer research."
Survivors --like NFL Hall of Famer Lenny Moore-- are getting the word out.
"That's what this whole thing is about," Moore said. "Get yourself checked out."
"The tests for prostate cancer are not that difficult and for the most part they're painless so it was important for me to put a face on prostate cancer," said Captain Dee Fense, cancer survivor.
Money raised will go to fund prostate cancer research, awareness and free screenings.
As part of our Continuing Community Commitment, WJZ is a proud sponsor of the Great Prostate Challenge.
