2 minute read
Cancer campaign the winner on the day
It’s Blue September and Farmlands is packing down with the Bay of Plenty and Waikato rugby teams for their Round 5 Bunnings Warehouse NPC fixture in Tauranga. Farmlands is the game-day sponsor and $5 from every ticket scanned at the gate goes to the fight against prostate cancer.
Today, 10 Kiwi men will be told they have prostate cancer. It is the most common cancer in New Zealand men, with more than 3,500 diagnosed each year – more than the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Blue September is the major annual fundraising and awareness campaign for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand, during which they aim to raise $1 million to continue providing vital support, funding essential research and advocating for patients and their loved ones. Scott Kahle, Chairman of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, says the team and staff are proud to support the Blue September campaign. “The ability for us to help raise awareness and funds for a worthy organisation like Blue September is rewarding for our staff and the Steamers and it has a greater good for men’s health. We have a clear focus on helping our wider community through the vehicle of rugby and sport. An added bonus is that it will help get farmers off-farm to enjoy what will be a great game of rugby,” he says. Foundation Chief Executive Peter Dickens says that more than 650 Kiwi men will die from prostate cancer this year. “That’s 55 mates, fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers dying each month. “We receive no government funding so by supporting Blue September you can help make a tangible difference in people’s lives,” Peter says. “Every dollar raised during Blue September helps to improve the health outcomes of New Zealand men.” The 2021 Blue September campaign is all about encouraging people to ‘Do Something Blue To Help a Mate Through’. “The options are endless when it comes to doing something blue. It could be anything from arranging an office morning tea to baking a blue cake or wearing blue on the golf course,” Peter says. Over 42,000 men in New Zealand are living with prostate cancer and early detection is key to survival. Most men won’t experience symptoms so regular check-ups are essential. “Early detection leads to better outcomes so it’s important to get checked and tell your friends and family to get checked too,” Peter says. Testing for prostate cancer involves a simple blood test, called a PSA test. “It’s really easy to get a test and have that peace of mind. We encourage men over age 50 to get regular check-ups, or age 40 if there’s a family history, and ask their GP for a PSA test,” he says. ‘Blue Doers’ are encouraged to share what they do on social media with the hashtag #DoSomethingBlue to help spread the word. There are lots of other ways to support Blue September this year including making a donation, buying sponsored products or Blue September merchandise.
