Pints for Prostates Kicks Off Prostate Cancer Awareness Month at Livestrong Global Cancer Summit

Aug. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the Pints for Prostates campaign will salute survivors of the disease at events in Dublin, Ireland; Shasta Lake, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Durham, N.C.

The awareness effort kicks off with Pints for Prostates participation at the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, then continues with events at beer festivals and tastings spread across the United States.

“Each week 4,000 men in the U.S. hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The key for these men is detecting the disease in the early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful,” said Rick Lyke, a 48-year-old Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive and drinks journalist who had successful prostate cancer surgery in April 2008. “The mission of Pints for Prostates is to reach men in a friendly and non-threatening way when they may be willing to listen to a message about prostate health screening and PSA testing.”

Pints for Prostates uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health. The grassroots effort is focused on building awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing through appearances at beer festivals, social networking, publicity and pro bono advertising.

“All men should start getting screened for prostate cancer when they reach 40 years old,” Lyke said. “The death rate from prostate cancer has declined in the last two decades because of improvements in testing and treatment. Still, thousands of men die needlessly each year because there is a lack of information sharing. Prostate cancer occupies the same social standing as breast cancer did in this country 30 years ago. Thanks to the pink ribbon campaign’s impact on early detection, scores of women have survived breast cancer. Men need to talk to other men and shake off the stigma of prostate cancer.”

As part of the effort to increase attention for the disease during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Pints for Prostates will:

•   Take part in the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland, from Aug. 24-26. Rick Lyke will serve on a panel moderated by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN and a practicing neurosurgeon, with Dr. M.R. Rajagopal of the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Care, India; Dr. Alejandro Mohar of the Instituto Nacional De Concerologia, Mexico; Xishan Hao of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; and Molebatsi Pooe-Shongwe, a breast cancer survivor and founder of Breatsens, South Africa.

•   Attend a benefit hosted by the North Star Craft Brewery at 3501 Iron Ct. in Shasta Lake, Calif., on Sept. 12 from 3:30-11 p.m. Live bands, food and beer. http://www.northstarbrew.com/homepage/NorthStarBreweryFes...

•   Participate in an event at Rocco’s Café & Pizzeria at 1925 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 13 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. celebrating the success of the SEA Blue Walk, a joint venture between two 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network and Wellness Place, Cancer Education and Support. http://www.ustooevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2009_...

•   Attend the benefit Men’s Night Out for Pints for Prostates at The Pub in Polaris Fashion Place, 1500 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 17th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Beer, Scotch and Bourbon tastings, live music, food, silent auction and raffles. www.pubs4prostates.com.

•   Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit at the Blind Lady Ale House, 3416 Adams Ave. in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 20th from 11:30 a.m. to Midnight. A portion of the day’s sales and donations to a raffle for some great prizes will be donated to the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network.

•   Have a booth staffed by prostate cancer survivors at the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo., from Sept. 24-26. http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/.

•   Attend the Denver Rare Beer Tasting to benefit Pints for Prostates presented by All About Beer Magazine in cooperation with BeerAdvocate.com at the Wynkoop Brewery at 1634 18th St. in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 25 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. www.allaboutbeer.com/pints.

•   Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery at 215 Southside Dr. in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 30th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Beer sampling, brewery tours, food and live music.

•   Have a booth at the World Beer Festival at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 3 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00-10:00 p.m. http://www.allaboutbeer.com/wbf/tickets.html

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About Pints for Prostates
Pints for Prostates, a campaign that uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health, was founded by prostate cancer survivor Rick Lyke in 2008. The grassroots effort raises awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing by making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. All funds generated by Pints for Prostates benefit the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. More information is available at www.ustoo.org/pints. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter.