Central/Western September 2023

Dear Champions,

As the summer sun begins to set and we prepare to welcome the upcoming fall, we wanted to take a moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering dedication and support. Your commitment to raising awareness and driving change within the prostate cancer community is truly inspiring and we are honored to have you as part of our Central/Western Region family.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a time when your efforts and passion become even more crucial in our mission to eradicate this disease. It is through your hard work, advocacy, and generosity that we are able to make a significant impact on the lives of those affected by prostate cancer. Throughout September, we encourage you to share your stories, your experiences, and your passion with others. By coming together as a community, we can create a world where prostate cancer is no longer a silent battle, but a challenge faced with strength, resilience, and unity.

Once again, thank you for being the driving force behind our Central/Western Region’s mission. We are excited to see what we can accomplish together in the coming months.

With heartfelt appreciation,
   Renee Haney
   National Director, Chapters program

P.S. Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming events and activities. Your involvement can truly make a difference!

Champion Spotlight

Upper Midwest

The Miles for Money DIY is off to an amazing start! As of August 4, 2023, Scott has biked over 1500 miles across 8 states and has raised over $45,000 to help bring awareness to this disease! He will be traveling home for treatment in September, but will be stopping in Chicago on this way home to participate in the ZERO Chicago Run/Walk! He and Katy look forward to celebrating the day with so many of you!

Central Midwest

New Central Midwest Champion Eric Jacobson is already making waves in Kansas City! Eric has been promoting the Kansas City Run/Walk within his Rotary Club Newsletter and is planning to drop off posters to local businesses. This is Eric’s first ZERO run/walk as a team captain and he has already raised over $3,000. We welcome Eric to our amazing Champion Community!

Texas/Oklahoma

Please join us in welcoming ZERO Champion Bryan Harding. As a prostate cancer patient/survivor Bryan was drawn to ZERO’s comprehensive approach that includes research, advocacy, and awareness. Bryan’s goal is to help further ZERO’s mission using his professional experience. Bryan comes to us with an extensive background in senior level management positions for corporate and donor fundraising at National Offices of some of the largest non-profit organizations in the country.

Local Events/Advocacy/Health Equity

Upper Midwest

On July 18th, the Upper Midwest was in attendance at the Managing Your Prostate Cancer event with Dendreon. It was a great evening spent with our support group leaders learning about treatments to help treat their disease.

The 2023 Mustachio Bashio was back in full force. This was the 5th annual event that our ZERO Champions, Alex and Trevor have hosted. This event has traditionally taken place in Chicago, but this year, they joined forces with the Brooklyn Cyclones and held their event in New York on August 19, 2023! It was a night at the ballpark celebrating and having fun with friends while raising money for prostate cancer.

On Friday, September 22, 2023 we will be attending the Celebrate Life event at City of Hope in Zion, Il. We look forward to spending the afternoon with so many men and their families.

Central Midwest

The Empowerment Network in St. Louis is hosting their Crystal Anniversary Gala on September 23rd at the Orlando Gardens Event Center. The Crystal Anniversary celebrates 15 years of care and advocacy for prostate cancer patients and their families! https://www.tenstl.org/general-6

Our host partner for our Kansas City Run/Walk, Kansas CIty Urology Care, is opening a new proton therapy center in Kansas City this September. Kansas City Proton Institute will be a vital resource to the prostate cancer community as well as serving all other cancer patients in the KC area.

Texas/Oklahoma

Interested in FREE PSA testing? The Oklahoma Proton Center will be offering FREE PSA testing to the Oklahoma City community on Saturday, September 9th from 10:00AM-12:45PM CDT. There are only a select number of spots open so make sure to sign up if you are interested. If you have any questions, please reach out to Devin Inhofe at devin.Inhofe@okcproton.com. To reserve your spot, please visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050a4aa8ae28a02-free#/.

Pacific Northwest

Hops & Handlebars is a prostate cancer awareness fundraiser focused on engaging, uniting, and educating the Sacramento community. Check out their Prostate Cancer Awareness Month events.

The presenting sponsor for the Napa Run/Walk, Adventist Health St. Helena, hosted an internal team Kickoff and had around 50 people come out to sign up and support.

Southwest

San Diego Run/Walk Mission Speaker Dave Samudio is hosting a charity golf event at the Chula Vista Golf Course. Click here for more information.

Non-Chapter

Larry Langmore and his daughter Katie are riding for the Maine Lighthouse Tour, a 40-mile bike event on September 10th. Thinking of ways to help others after his own prostate cancer diagnoses, Larry, an avid biker, decided to use this event to encourage his friends and family to support ZERO! His fundraiser has already surpassed $6,000 and we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes! In September, Larry is also going to be connecting with Champions Scott and Katy Freitag who have already embarked on their own 11,000 mile bike journey around the United States! To learn more about Larry’s story and check out his fundraiser, click here.

Run/Walk Updates

Register for your local Run/Walk events by going to zerocancer.run. We hope to see you! Follow our Run/Walk Facebook page