PHEN KICKS-OFF FATHER'S DAY RALLY TO RAISE PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS
-- Black Churches set to take part in this year's event "Joining Hands in Prayer to Save Lives" --
Boston, MA (BlackNews.com) -- The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) has announced that it will lead a nationwide "Father's Day Rally Against Prostate Cancer," in partnership with churches across the country, on Sunday, June 20th, 2010. The Rally, whose theme is "Joining Hands in Prayer to Save Lives," is aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness about the African American prostate cancer crisis. This event will take place within each church during their regular services. Congregations will recognize prostate cancer survivors, their families, as well as the loved ones of those men who have died from the disease. The churches will offer a special prayer of love and healing to all whose lives have been impacted by prostate cancer. PHEN, and local organizations, will additionally provide each church with materials for distribution that all men and women can use to help increase family education about prostate cancer.
This national Rally is modeled after the highly successful partnership with churches in Massachusetts on Father's Day of last year. "Our Rally was a great success and we are looking forward to participating again this year," said Rev. Dr. John Borders, Pastor, Morningstar Baptist Church in Boston, MA, whose church was a Rally participant.
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina has already registered to participate in 2010. "The rally meets a need within our community and it is a perfect addition to our men's program, which will be held on Father's Day," said the Church's Pastor, Rev. Dr. Thomas Walker.
Thomas A. Farrington, PHEN president and a prostate cancer survivor, said "There is a critical lack of knowledge about prostate cancer in Black America that is needlessly causing deaths and suffering that we must change. The Father's Day Rally will help increase knowledge that is vital to change at the grass roots level where it is most needed."
PHEN invites all churches, local organizations and survivors to join hands across the country and make this Rally a highly visible and effective joint effortwithin Black communities, which are most impacted by prostate cancer. Churches can register to participate online at www.RAPCancer.org and they will receive details about participating.
About the Rally Against Prostate Cancer
African American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at a rate 60% higher and have a death rate 150% higher than all other men. This is the largest racial disparity for any type of cancer. The Father's Day Rally is a part of PHEN's RAP Cancer initiative, which was launched in 2008. RAP Cancer mobilizes prostate cancer survivors with the resources to help others, and outreaches through PHEN online television programming, community television stations, radio and internet broadcasts. This broad "grassroots" effort reaches men and their families with education and awareness information and support with the understanding that knowledge is the best defense against prostate cancer. PHEN is a 501c3 organization founded in 2003 by Thomas A. Farrington a prostate cancer survivor and author of the books "Battling the Killer Within" and "Battling the Killer Within and Winning."
For more information contact:
jpfarrington@prostatehealthed.org, or call Amy Skinner at (781) 487-2239.
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