PROGRAM SUCCESS – MAY 2010
PAGE 17
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:
[email protected], or call Amy Skinner at (781)
487-2239.