Athletic program targets prostate cancer awareness

The Prostate Cancer Foundation has launched Athletes for a Cure, a fundraising and awareness program to assist individual athletes in their quest to raise money for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. Registered participants on www.athletesforacure.org can upload photos, personal stories, and race information on their own page, set donation goals, and use e-mail to solicit support from family and friends.

“Our objective with Athletes for a Cure is to create partnerships with event organizers that stimulate greater participation in their events and allow athletes to realize their individual goals while contributing to a much larger cause,” said Scott Zagarino, of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. “The result of these triangular relationships (event, participant, Prostate Cancer Foundation) means more awareness and funding for this little-understood disease.”

The program has existed in a pilot phase for several months, garnering 150 participants and raising more than $40,000, even before its official launch.