Prostate Cancer Foundation and Major League Baseball Launch Annual Home Run Challenge to Defeat Prostate Cancer
MLB Players and Managers to Wear Special Event Uniforms During Father's Day Weekend to Raise Awareness and Funds for Prostate Cancer Research
LOS ANGELES, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and Major League Baseball (MLB) are launching the annual Home Run Challenge on June 1, and running through Father's Day, June 18, in all 30 MLB ballparks throughout the United States and Canada.
For the first time, all MLB players and managers will wear specially-designed uniforms and baseball caps for the entirety of the weekend of Father's Day (Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18) to raise awareness and funds for the fight against prostate cancer. Father's Day uniforms will feature light blue incorporated in the Clubs' logos, and caps will have a blue shadow tech heather crown and graphite visor. Fans will be able to purchase these uniforms at local Modell's Sporting Goods stores, MLBShop.com and MLB stadiums. MLB will again donate its licensed uniform royalties that are connected to Father's Day, split evenly between PCF and Stand Up To Cancer.
Fans can get involved by visiting HomeRunChallenge.org to make a one-time donation or pledge for every home run scored by their favorite MLB team during the time period of June 1 through June 18, all the while tracking where their team stacks up in a Team vs. Team competition. Every dollar donated to the Home Run Challenge will go to PCF to fund critical research to defeat prostate cancer.
PCF has raised more than $700 million for prostate cancer research to date, which has resulted in helping bring six prostate cancer medicines to patients. Every 20 minutes, a man in the U.S. dies from prostate cancer.
"Joining as partners with MLB and its fans over two decades to support medical research, we've helped cut the prostate cancer death rate in half," said Michael Milken, founder and chairman of the PCF. "No other cancer has seen such gains. Now we're determined to get that rate to zero. Everyone can help by adding to the $45 million raised in past years through the Home Run Challenge."
"Many members of our baseball family have been affected by prostate cancer, so this is a cause that is close to our hearts," said Melanie LeGrande, vice president of social responsibility for MLB. "For more than 20 years, MLB has proudly supported the Prostate Cancer Foundation and its outstanding 'Home Run Challenge,' which has helped raise critical funds to help accelerate scientific breakthroughs and save lives."
Visit HomeRunChallenge.org to learn how you can join the challenge and help defeat prostate cancer.
About the Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, the PCF has raised more than $700 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research programs at more than 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer.
PCF-funded research has contributed to leading-edge research and the development of precision treatments, which have helped lower the U.S. prostate cancer death rate by more than 50 percent. PCF continues to host a number of fundraising programs, including the Home Run Challenge and the newest program, Many vs Cancer, a global crowdfunding initiative creating a movement to defeat prostate cancer. All money raised for these programs goes directly to the PCF to fund critical prostate cancer research and save lives. For more information, visit www.pcf.org.
About Major League Baseball (MLB)
MLB is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. It is the best-attended sport in North America, and since 2004, MLB has enjoyed its best-attended seasons in the history of the game, with each regular season eclipsing the 73 million mark. Led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB currently features record levels of labor peace, competitive balance and industry revenues, as well as the most comprehensive drug-testing program in American professional sports. MLB remains committed to making an impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world, perpetuating the sport's larger role in society and permeating every facet of baseball's business, marketing and community relations endeavors. With the continued success of MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America's National Pastime and a truly global game. For more information on MLB, visit http://www.MLB.com.
Contact:
Christina Witz
W2O Group
[email protected]
310-774-3424
SOURCE Prostate Cancer Foundation
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