JANUARY 2023

We are happy to announce that we are following up our strong finish to last year with a solid start to 2023. Thanks to exciting new partnerships and the expansion of existing ones, we are positioned to deliver more meaningful programming support than ever to the prostate cancer community.

Perhaps the biggest news is our collaboration with Molloy University, where we will support their nursing students and medical partners at health fairs, PSA screenings, educational efforts, and awareness events in underserved communities on Long Island. Thanks to our friends at Molloy University for including us in this important initiative.  

Please note that effective immediately, our online Women's Support Group is now meeting twice per month. If you or someone you know might benefit from a support group for spouses, partners, and caregivers, you can find the meeting dates and registration included in this newsletter.

Finally, I want to flag up that our charity has once again earned the Gold Rating for Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar), a large charity-vetting organization that rates over 2.7 million non-profits. Please read more about that below.

We will be adding new screenings and health events throughout the year. Please consult social media and our website for opportunities to join us in person.

Onwards and upwards,

Ed Randall
Founder + Chief Advocacy Officer
Fans for the Cure

Fans for the Cure is pleased to announce that starting in early 2023 it will be partnering with Molloy University in Rockville Centre, New York, to offer health fairs, free screenings, prostate cancer workshops, and educational materials for men in Long Island. The program will place an emphasis on doctor visits and the importance of PSA blood tests for African-American men over 40, with a special focus on reaching out to low-income/medically-underserved communities.   

These events will be listed on our website as they are scheduled.

Fans for the Cure will join with Molloy University Community Care, Fidelis Care, the Adelphi Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline, and several other local Long Island health organizations to provide an afternoon of free medical screenings and wellness resources. 

No fees will be charged, and no insurance or ID will be required.  

Location: Freeport (NY) Memorial Library, 144 W. Merrick Road, Freeport, NY 11520
Date: Saturday, February 11
Time: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.  
All Ages Welcome

From our friends at GDIT and from several of our support group members who participate:

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) is a global biomedical funding organization located under the Department of Defense (DOD). General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) is contracted by the DOD to support this program by recruiting individuals who can share their lived experience with prostate cancer and to serve on peer review panels.

In support of CDMRP’s Prostate Cancer Research Program, GDIT is currently seeking individuals to participate as “Consumer Reviewers.” They will help to review biomedical research applications that will lead to the elimination of death from prostate cancer and enhance the wellbeing of service members, veterans, and all men experiencing the impact of the disease. Consumer reviewers will act as subject matter experts on their disease, bringing their lived experience and perspective to the review panel, which consists of expert scientists and consumer reviewers.

The work entails reading sections of the biomedical research applications (~3 pages) and providing a brief written evaluation of the impact of each application.

Work is conducted electronically over a 4-to-8-week period and will culminate in a 1-to-2-day meeting, where in-person attendance is required.

For more information about how to become involved, please contact Melissa at [email protected] or at 301-835-4168.

We are proud to share that for the second year in a row that Fans for the Cure has earned a Gold Rating for Transparency from Candid, an organization that vets 2.7 million U.S. charities for the decision-making benefit of donors and benefactors.

Fans for the Cue received this rating after successfully meeting Candid's rigid requirements for open transparency and accountability. The organization had to demonstrate the accuracy and availability of its financial documents, along with providing an outline of the charity’s programming goals and related metrics.

Our most-recently filed financial documents and current organizational policies are always available on our website.

Fans for the Cure has implemented its new twice-monthly meeting schedule for the Women’s Support Group. The increase in meeting frequency follows a request from the women registered for the group for more opportunities to gather and share online.

Our new meeting schedule will see the group gather on Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at 8 PM ET. The group's next meeting is Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8 PM ET.

If you missed our Annual Holiday Party on New Year's Eve or if, for some reason, you are finding the urge to view it again (and again), you can now catch (and re-catch) this rare combination of Yuletide frolic mixed with important medical messaging on our YouTube channel.

Our guest list from the world of show business and beyond included Bob Costas, Steve Garvey, Richard Kind, John Pizzarelli, Ed Randall, and Dr. James McKiernan. Along with surprise appearances and cameos from the worlds of sports, entertainment, and medicine, our special guests present an engaging series of performances, presentations, and conversations.

Click on the image above or the blue button below to watch the video. While there, sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Both of our online support groups are free and open to all men and women respectively, with registration required.

Men's Support Group

• Thursday, February 9 at 7 PM ET – Register for the Men's Support Group meeting.
• Thursday, February 23 at 7 PM ET

Women's Support Group

• Tuesday, February 7 at 8 PM ET – Register for the Women's Support Group meeting
• Tuesday, January 21 at 8 PM ET

Please note that Fans for the Cure allows attendees to register for only the immediately upcoming online support group meeting. Thanks for understanding our desire to keep our meetings safe, secure, and private.

Through our work in the prostate cancer community, we have recognized that men and their loved ones often find themselves struggling to find a doctor or healthcare provider who gives them confidence and comfort in a proposed treatment regimen. Whether it be a search for one’s first urologist or oncologist, or whether the treatment follow-up process seems off, men deserve the best possible medical partner (or set of partners) for every step of this journey.

At Fans for the Cure, we advocate for men to connect with solid, proven doctors who can deliver that sense of "This is the right way forward."

Through our community programs, health events, and local and national outreach, we have established an extensive network of leading urologists, oncologists, and medical professionals with whom we have established relationships and whom we trust with medical referrals. Should you be seeking a medical referral, we are happy to help connect you with doctors in all areas of the country for testing, second opinions, and guidance explaining treatment options.

In this section, we share links to blog posts, news articles, medical journals, books, and other items that we think will be of interest to you.

1. Plant-based diets may be associated with lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer
2. Treatment decision-making among patients with metastatic prostate cancer
3. Man, 56, died 'months' after spotting prostate cancer symptom on his 'upper cheek'
4. Suicide Risk Higher Among Individuals with Cancer
5. MIRAGE Clinical Trial Endpoints Published – The trial examined whether the aggressive margin reduction by MRI-guidance led to fewer toxic side effects than computed tomography guidance following stereotactic body radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Our friends at ViewRay has issued a related press release, as have our colleagues at UCLA Health.

As we kick off our ambitious programming schedule for 2023, our charity is focused on providing significant and measurable support to the prostate cancer community. This means joining with our medical partners, local businesses, and community leaders to reach out to people about the importance of taking responsibility for their cancer screenings and their overall health. To bring our services and awareness campaigns to the communities that need them most, we need your help. Please consider giving today to support our work throughout the year.

Call us: 888-301-4414