• Cancer

    Target Field Pitch for Prevention: Raising Awareness of Cancers that Can be Defeated

P4PWHAT: Mayo Clinic, Fight Colorectal Cancer and Ed Randall’s Fans for the Cure will encourage baseball fans to “pitch in” to prevent prostate and colorectal cancer as the Minnesota Twins begin a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field in Minneapolis on July 21.

Pitch for Prevention is intended to raise awareness about prostate cancer and colorectal cancer prevention through an educational event for prostate cancer and colorectal cancer survivors with Mayo Clinic physicians, educational booths on Target Plaza and a champion’s march of cancer survivors onto Target Field. The Pitch for Prevention educational event will be streamed live at pitchforprevention.com.

The campaign will include a special appearance by country music star Craig Campbell, who lost his father to colorectal cancer at age 11. Losing his father at a young age inspired Campbell to become involved in the fight against colorectal cancer. He was recently named national spokesperson for Fight Colorectal Cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prostate cancer is the second-leading killer of men in the U.S., and colorectal cancer is the third-leading killer of both men and women in the U.S.

WHERE: Target Field, Minneapolis.

WHEN: Monday, July 21, 2014. Educational event begins at 4 p.m. Game begins at 7:10 p.m.

WHO: Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Paul Limburg, M.D., founder of Pitch for Prevention, Craig Campbell, country singer and national spokesman for Fight Colorectal Cancer. Eric Powell, colorectal cancer survivor, will throw out the first pitch of the game.

Dr. Limburg and Campbell will be available for interviews on July 21.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Chloe Piepho or Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, 
newsbureau@mayo.edu

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About Fight Colorectal Cancer
Fight Colorectal Cancer is a leading colorectal cancer nonprofit in Washington, D.C. Through patient education, advocacy and research funding the group spreads awareness and demands a cure for the third-leading killer in the United States. As the leading advocacy group, the organization serves as a resource for colorectal cancer patients, grassroots advocates, policymakers, medical professionals and health care providers. Learn more at http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/.

About Ed Randall’s Fans for the Cure
Ed Randall’s Fans for the Cure was established in 2003, dedicated to the proposition of spreading the twin gospels of prostate cancer awareness and the life-saving value of early detection, of which Ed Randall, a cancer survivor, can attest. Learn more at http://fans4thecure.org.

About Mayo Clinic
Recognizing 150 years of serving humanity in 2014, Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit 150years.mayoclinic.org, http://www.mayoclinic.org/ and newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.